A Very Cargan Christmas
by Miss Fenway
Summary: Carlos was determined to give Logan the best Christmas ever.  NO SLASH!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N. Happy December, everyone! I'm sorry for disappearing for a month, but I was dealing with some personal things. Anyway, I have a new story that I got the idea for way back in summer, I believe. It's exciting to finally be writing it! As usual, I'm not sure how many chapters it will be, but right now I'm thinking no more than ten. We'll see.**

**This past summer, I fell in love with Cargan bromance and how sweet and adorable it is. I also love Christmas, so the idea of combining two of my favorite things came rather easily. It will feature only Carlos and Logan, so sorry if there are any James and Kendall fans out there!**

**I also have quite a few one shots that I've been writing as Christmas presents for some very special people in my life. I posted the first one, "Ohana" today and there will be plenty more to follow in the days to come. This story is dedicated to _everyone_. Thank you so much for all your patience, support, and encouragement!**

**I don't own anything! Yet. . .**

_"Christmas time is here. Happiness and cheer. Fun for all that children call, their favorite time of year." - Christmas Time is Here by The Vince Guaraldi Trio._

Logan Mitchell lowers his head and wraps his arms around his upper body, trying to conserve as much body heat as possible, as an especially strong and icy wind blows through the trees overhead. He shivers slightly, wishing that he had remembered his winter hat before leaving his warm house. One of the first things he ever learned, thanks to being born and raised in the chilly northern state of Minnesota, was that most of a person's body heat escapes through their head. Fortunately, even though his head is unprotected, he's not far from his destination. Bracing himself against the bitter cold, he lifts his head to see better and quickens his pace.

At fifteen years old, Logan is accustomed to Minnesota winters. However, that doesn't make the ten degree weather complete with strong winds and blowing snow any easier or more pleasant to trek through. It snowed the night before and he's glad that the streets and sidewalks are all clear, sparing him the need to wade through knee deep drifts.

At last, through the swirling snow, Logan's sharp eyes spy the familiar two story brick house that sits on the corner of the street. It looks warm and inviting and he breaks into a jog, careful to avoid icy patches of ice on the pavement. Hurrying up the driveway, he reaches the porch and pulls off a glove, blowing hot air on his frozen fingers before he knocks.

The door is flung open right away to reveal a little girl of about five years old who smiles brightly at the sight of him. "Logan!" she sings out happily. "Carlos! Logan is here!" She takes his hand in hers and pulls him inside the welcoming shelter.

"Hang on, Chloe." Logan says, bracing himself so she can't drag him off the welcome mat. "Let me take my coat and boots off first. I don't want to get anything wet."

"Logan Mitchell!" A beautiful, motherly looking woman hurries into the room from the kitchen. "You look half frozen! Please tell me that you didn't walk all the way here. You could have called for a ride if your father was busy." In an instant, she's at his side, helping him pull off his damp outer clothes.

Logan feels his face turn red and he ducks his head. "Sorry," he says quietly. "I thought you might be busy packing for your trip."

Mrs. Garcia shakes her head as she hangs up his coat and then grabs his arm, gently pulling him into the kitchen. "A five minute car trip is hardly a bother," she says, gently reprimanding him. "Especially for you, Logan."

Most teens Logan's would protest such babying. Most teens would protest that the walk to Carlos' house is only ten minutes and point out their sixteen years old and perfectly capable of the short trip. But Logan isn't like most teens. His mother died in a car accident when he was six and his father has been consumed in his work as a lawyer for most of those ten years. Logan is incredibly grateful for the parenting that annoys most teens. "Sorry," he says again, giving her a small smile. "I'll call next time, okay?"

Mrs. Garcia looks pleased and nods. "Much better," she says, sitting him down at the kitchen table where Carlos' five younger sisters immediately begin clamoring for attention. "Now have some of the fresh hot chocolate the girls and I made while we wait for dinner and my husband."

"Hey, Logie!" Carlos joins the happy family at the table, taking his own mug of steaming cocoa. "How's it going, buddy?"

"Logan _walked _here," ten-year-old Elena tells her brother with wide eyes. "He almost froze to death!"

"It wasn't that bad," Logan says hurriedly when Carlos looks at him, his excitement fading into concern. All the same, he draws his mug of hot chocolate closer to him, allowing the steam to warm him even more. "It was just a little cold."

Carlos rolls his eyes but doesn't say anything else on the matter. "When's Dad supposed to come home tonight?" he asks his mother as he nudges Elena so she moves from the seat next to Logan.

"Any minute now," Mrs. Garcia answers, lifting her gaze from the stove to the clock.

Right on cue, the front door opens and all five girls jump down from the table and rush to greet their father. Carlos takes the brief moment of silence to talk to Logan. "So," he says casually, glancing at his mother. "Why did you walk here?"

Logan sighs and stalls for time by sipping from his mug. The hot chocolate burns his tongue and he puts it back down. "My dad left this morning for a business trip in Michigan," he says hurriedly. "He'll be back in five days though. Same day as you. In plenty of time for Christmas."

Carlos stares at him in dismay. "Logan," he says, his cheerful mood evaporating quickly. "You mean you're going to be all by yourself the week before Christmas?"

This is the only reason why Logan was hesitant to accept Carlos' dinner invitation that night. Because he knew that eventually he would have to tell them that his dad is going to be gone until the day before Christmas Eve. His dad going on business trips is nothing new to them. But he's always had someone to be with when Ryan Mitchell was away. This time is different.

James and his parents are spending from now until after the New Year in New York City. Kendall, Katie, and their mother are in Virginia with Mrs. Knights' parents until after Christmas. Carlos' family is headed to Florida to visit his dad's parents and then bring them home to celebrate Christmas with them. They'll be home the same time as Logan's father and before everyone else. Just in time for Christmas. But until then, Logan is on his own. And he knew it wouldn't sit well with his best friend's family.

"How's the rest of my family?" Mr. Garcia walks into the room, his daughters close at his heels. He kisses his wife and then tousles Carlos' hair, doing the same to Logan before the other boy can even think. "Thanks for joining us for dinner, Logan!"

"Thanks for having me," Logan replies with a smile. "It smells delicious."

"Beef stew," Mrs. Garcia says with a smile that doesn't quite reach her eyes. "Carlos," she says, addressing her husband. "I know it's close to Christmas and that everyone will be traveling right now, but do you think it would be possible to find one more ticket for Logan to come with us?"

Confusion is the first emotion that crosses the police chief's face. Then he simply shakes his head, looking regretful. "No, I'm afraid it wouldn't be possible. I bought those tickets two months ago. Is everything okay?" he asks, looking around at three grim faces.

"Logan's dad is away," Carlos answers flatly. "In Michigan."

"He'll be home before Christmas though!" Logan tries to make things better before they get even worse. But it's already too late.

"Logan, I don't like the idea of you staying by yourself for so long." Mr. Garcia says, looking serious. "I know you're old enough to take care of yourself but that's beside the point. It's too close to Christmas."

"He'll be home before Christmas!" Logan repeats. He has the desire to sink into the floor and disappear until everyone forgets what they're talking about.

"It's not right," Mrs. Garcia says with a sigh.

Logan wonders what they would say if they knew that he and his father hadn't actually celebrated Christmas since he was maybe eight years old. Even back then he could sense that his dad's heart wasn't in it. But he'll never tell them that.

"Wait a minute!" Mr. Garcia says suddenly, so loudly that they all jump and look at him. "Logan, we're going to visit my parents, but they'll be coming home with us and celebrating Christmas. So Carlos wouldn't be missing out on that much if he stayed home with you."

"No way," Logan says, shaking his head quickly.

"Yes!" Carlos says at the same time, jumping up from the table. "Dad, that's perfect! It's perfect, isn't it, Mom?"

Logan stands up to so that he has a chance of actually being noticed over Carlos' enthusiasm. "I can't let you do that," he insists. "You should be with your family."

"But he will be," Chloe pipes up innocently. "You guys are like brothers."

Carlos turns triumphantly to Logan. "She's right, you know. It makes perfect sense, Logan. You know it does."

"I agree," Mrs. Garcia says, but gentler then her son who is really excited. "Logan, I'm having trouble that you're really okay with being by yourself for so long this close to Christmas. If you really don't want to, then we'll go through with our plans Just let us know, okay?"

"I-" Logan breaks off, struggling to put his feelings into words. It actually is an absolutely perfect solution because he really doesn't want to be alone. "I don't know what to say."

"Say yes!" Chloe says, putting everything into simple five-year-old terms once again.

"Please, Logie?" Carlos says hopefully.

Logan finds it ironic that it's Carlos who is begging him. Their roles should be reversed it seems. It doesn't matter either way thought because he can feel his stubborn resolved quickly dying down when he sees how much they all want him to give in. "Okay," he relents with a small smile. "I think it's a great plan."

"Yes!" Carlos cheers victoriously. He casts a grateful look over at his father who looks equally pleased, and then he sits down. "I don't even need to pack," he continues, his voice back to its normal cheerful tone. "I'm already to leave."

"I'll take you boys after dinner," Mr. Garcia tells them. "It might snow even more tonight and I want to get you home before the weather gets too bad. Plus, I still have some packing of my own that I need to get done before we leave tomorrow morning."

During dinner, which is of course delicious, Logan thinks over all that has just transpired and how much it means to him. Even since he can clearly remember, his family situation has always been so. . . unique. While he's been without a biological mother for ten years now, he's never truly felt like he's been completely without a mother. And while his father has been buried in his work since he was eight, he's also never truly lacked a father figure to look up to. And from the time he was six, Logan has never felt like an only child.

Mrs. Knight, Kendall's mother, has loved him just as much as she's loved Kendall and Katie, her own children. She's never missed a hockey game, not just for Kendall, but for Logan as well. The same goes for all of the school events that Logan has been involved in, whether it was a spelling bee, science fair, or awards ceremony. She's always been there for him.

Mr. Garcia, whom Logan has been fondly calling "Papa" for as long as he's known Carlos, has been everything his own father has not been. He's been the one to praise Logan over his straight A's and encourage him to go after his dream of becoming a doctor. He's been the one to teach Logan how to stand up for himself without making things worse. He's made Logan feel loved and wanted. They all have.

"Ready, boys?" Mr. Garcia asks after dinner is finished. He stands up and clears away his plate, walking it over to the sink.

"I just have to get my stuff," Carlos replies as he hops to his feet. "Be right back."

"Wait a second, Carlos." Logan says quickly. "I'll go get your stuff. That will give you a little more time to say goodbye." Part of him still feels horrible for taking his best friend away from his family so close to Christmas but after seeing how happy it's making them, it's hard to feel totally regretful.

"I'll help you, Logan."

Nodding in answer to Mr. Garcia's statement, Logan leads the way upstairs to his friend's room, feeling a little uncomfortable as he does so. "Thank you," he says quietly as they reach the room. On Carlos' bed is a very full suitcase and large duffel bag. On the floor is a backpack. Logan bends to pick up the backpack and then reaches for the duffel bag.

"I've got those, Logan." Mr. Garcia says gently, brushing Logan's hands aside and easily hefting both luggage carriers up off the bed. "Listen, the only thing I'd rather do is take both of you with us. I wish we could do more, I really do."

If only he could convince him that they've done _everything_ for him. Far more than he deserves. Logan fills tears begin to sting his eyes and he forces a smile to his face. "It really means a lot," he managed to say. "I mean, you're giving up your son right before Christmas so I won't be alone. And I'm not-"

"You mean just as much to me and my wife as Carlos does." Mr. Garcia interrupts, dropping the bags so he can hug Logan closely. "I hope you truly realize that one day."

Logan is close to breaking. At fifteen, he's supposed to be be shying away from physical contact and affection. But he's been without it for so long that he actually craves it. The arms around him are holding him tightly and he feels safe and loved. After a short hesitation, he lifts his arms and returns the embrace, already feeling afraid to ever let go.

But he does let go and steps away, looking up at his hero with shinning eye. "Thanks, Papa." he says gratefully because he knows that Mr. Garcia loves it when he calls him that. It's a sign that he _does_ know he belongs in the family.

Mr. Garcia squeezes Logan's shoulder and then picks Carlos' bags back up. "Just always know that you're worth it, Logan. You're worth everything to us."

The two of them head back downstairs where Carlos is still taking with his mother and sister. He looks over at Mr. Garcia and Logan as soon as they walk into the kitchen and his face lights up. "Ready?" he asks eagerly. "Dad, I got those." He hurries over and takes the bags from his dad. "See you soon!" he calls out to the rest of his family, letting his mother steal one last kiss.

"Goodbye, boys." Mrs. Garcia says fondly, hugging Logan too. "We'll be back in five days, okay? Logan, you make sure Carlos behaves himself. Take care of each other."

"Thanks again," Logan calls over his shoulder as Carlos starts to tug him to the door. He catches his breath as they step outside, caught of guard by how freezing it got since he first arrived. Hurrying to Mr. Garcia's pickup truck, he climbs in and pulls his coat closer around him.

"I can't believe you walked in this," Carlos shakes his head as he climbs in next to Logan. "It's freezing out there!"

"You walked?" Mr. Garcia asks, glancing over at Logan. He starts the truck and immediately blasts the heat.

Logan's face isn't just red from the cold anymore. "It wasn't this bad," he mumbles, holding his hands out in front of the vent. "It got worse."

To his relief, Mr. Garcia and Carlos both drop the subject and they drive to Logan's house in a comfortable silence, Christmas music playing quietly. Logan glances outside at the winter wonderland before him, glad that the snow has stopped falling at least for now.

They pull up to Logan's house and come to a stop. Mr. Garcia takes the keys out of the ignition and pockets them. "I'll help you boys get settled," he tells them. "Then I'll be off and you'll be on your own."

Carlos is the first out of the truck, dragging his backpack and suitcase behind him as he hurries to the front porch. "Logan, hurry!" he exclaims, hopping up and down.

You should have waited for me!" Logan laughs. But all the same he hurries as well, quickly fitting the key in the lock despite his shaking hands. He pushes the door open, nearly falling into the house. "Ah," he sighs in relief. "Much better already."

"Where are you boys going to stay?" Mr. Garcia asks, glancing around the house. The heat is on so the temperature is nice and warm. But there's something about it, maybe the empty feel and the complete lack of Christmas decorations, that brings a chill into the still air.

"The basement?" Logan glances at Carlos for confirmation and receives a nod. "The basement. "There's plenty of room down there and stuff."

The three of them walk down the steps into the large, comfortable looking and well kept basement. There's a large flat screen TV against one wall and a pool table and Foosball table nearby. For the most part, they look untouched but cared for all the same. In another corner of the room is a small chair and a bookshelf, each book looking old and worn having been read many times. There's a desk and a computer and even a nice music station. "It looks like you won't be going anywhere." Mr. Garcia remarks with a laugh.

"Except to get food!" Carlos reminds him.

Mr Garcia laughs and nods. "Very true. Logan, do you have plenty of food?"

Logan nods. "And I can cook pretty well." he says modestly.

"Carlos, why don't you and Logan get settled? Bring down his stuff. I'm going to take a quick look around." Mr. Garcia straightens Carlos' overturned suitcases and heads back up the stairs, the boys close behind him.

Logan starts to go up to his room with Carlos right at his heels. He stops though and watches his best friend's father as he goes straight into the kitchen and looks in the fridge and cabinets. He moves around, turning each appliance on and off, testing everything. He's making sure that Logan and Carlos will be as safe as possible.

"Logan? Are you going?"

Realizing that Carlos is waiting for him, Logan jerks out of his daze and hurries up the stairs, his mind still whirling. His own father never does such a thorough inspection of the house. He always makes sure that Logan has food and water and money, but he doesn't go around flicking all the lights on an off like Logan imagines Mr. Garcia is doing now.

"Is something wrong, buddy?" Carlos asks. He sits on Logan's bed and watches and Logan's hurriedly throws a few things together. "You're pretty quiet. You know that this is what me and my family want, right? I mean, aside from taking you with us." He grins a little. "Florida is really nice this time of the year."

Logan laughs. "I bet. I'm fine, Carlos. Really. I'm great actually. This is really fantastic what you're doing for me. It's just that. . ."

Carlos waits for Logan to continue after trailing off. When the pause is longer than he can stand, he prompts his best friend. "It's just that?"

Shrugging, Logan grabs a pillow and looks at Carlos. "Your dad is the best."

Carlos' face splits into a wide grin. "Yeah, I know." he says happily. Bouncing up from the bed, he looks expectantly at Logan. "Have everything?"

"I think so," Logan lets Carlos take his sleeping bag, knowing that any kind of protest is pointless at by now. "Let's go back down."

Mr. Garcia is back in the basement when the boys return. He's looking at the power boxes in the darkest corner of the room, fiddling with some of the buttons and switches. "All set?" he asks when he sees the boys.

"All set!" Carlos answers cheerfully since Logan is still overwhelmed by the incredibly caring gestures.

"I'd better get going then," Mr. Garcia says. He straightens up and brushes a little dust off his shirt. "Now," he says, faking sternness. "Carlos, listen to Logan. He's always had more sense than you and Kendall and James put together. Besides, you're his guest."

Carlos, for once, looks very solemn as he nods. "Yes, sir. Don't worry. I'm sure Logan will call you if he has any problems with me. Right, Logie?"

"That's right," Logan agrees. "Although I doubt I'll have any problems. Carlos isn't that bad."

"Does he behave better for you than his own parents?" Mr. Garcia questions with a straight face. "In all seriousness, both of you, call us if you need anything or have any questions. Be careful, all right?" He hugs Carlos closely and then Logan. "I'll see you both before the week ends."

"See you, Dad!" Carlos calls out cheerfully.

"Bye, Papa." Logan says quietly with a shy smile. "Thanks again." He and Carlos walk Mr. Garcia to the front door. "Have a safe trip."

"We'll be sure to call when we get there." Mr. Garcia promises. Then he opens the door and steps quickly outside, pulling the door shut behind him right away so that the cold air doesn't come into the house.

Carlos and Logan watch out the window as the headlights of his truck turn on, illuminating the dark world around them. He waits until the headlights disappear and then spins around, another huge grin on his face. "So are you ready?" he asks, his excitement making his voice a little louder than necessary.

Confusion crosses Logan's face. "Ready for what?" he asks.

Carlos steps away from the window and drops his arm around Logan's shoulder. "To get this house ready for Christmas," he says, using his other arm to gesture around at the rather dreary and sad looking house. "It needs some Christmas cheer."

**A/N. All right, well right now I could use a Carlos lol. My house is like Logan's at the moment, but hopefully that will change in the very near future. I hope you all liked this so far, let me know what you thought! Have an awesome day!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N. I apologize ahead of time for the angsty turn that this chapter takes towards the end. I fully intended to make this a fluffy and happy Cargan bromance story but today changed that. I'm close very with a family at our church and this year has been an incredible struggle for the three boys and their mother. I spent a few hours of this evening with the mother while the boys were away and to be perfectly honest, it was really hard. I couldn't get the song, "Grown Up Christmas List" by Amy Grant out of my head. Anyway, once again, I'm sorry. **

**I don't own anything.**

"_As children we believed the grandest sight to see was something lovely wrapped beneath our tree. Well, Heaven surely knows that packages and bows can never heal a hurting human soul." - Grown Up Christmas List by Amy Grant._

"Christmas cheer?" Logan repeats, the words sounding foreign coming from his own lips. "What are you talking about, Carlos?"

Carlos rolls his eyes. "I mean, _Christmas cheer_, Logan. "You can't even tell that Christmas is in a week by looking around here."

"Oh." Logan's face turns red and he drops his gaze. "Yeah well, my dad and I haven't really celebrated it for a few years." he explains quietly. In a gesture that his friends have come to recognize as a sign of embarrassment, he reaches up and rubs the back of his neck.

A glimmer of sadness shines in Carlos' eyes but he tries to hide it for Logan's sake. "I guess I can sort of tell now. We always. . . wondered why you never invited us over around Christmastime. Not that it's a big deal, us coming over. It's just that-" Carlos can see that he's not achieving his goal which is to make Logan feel better, so he abruptly switches gears.

"Anyway!" he says brightly. "I think that we need to change that. You still have all of your Christmas decorations, right?"

Logan nods slowly. "Yeah, up in the attic," he tells Carlos. "Are you sure that you-"

"Logan, don't be ridiculous!" Carlos exclaims, waving away Logan's doubts. "Come on, it'll be fun, but only if you want to. Please, Logie?"

By now, Logan is fighting to keep a smile off of his face. "All right," he relents rather easily. "I think that sounds like a lot of fun. I might be a little out of practice though."

Carlos can tell Logan meant to joke, so he acts like the words are funny instead of painful to hear. "Don't worry," he laughs. "I won't let you hang anything upside down or break it. I'm a Christmas expert!"

The two boys slowly make their way up the stairs, planning as they go. Logan quickly realizes that Carlos' Christmas cheer doesn't just involve decorations from the attic, but Christmas cookies, music, and a real tree as well. In spite of himself, he's getting excited about the prospect of finally having Christmas back in his home and he even lets a small part of his thoughts drift to his father and what he'll think when he gets home.

"Logan!" Carlos calls, waving a hand in front of his best friend's face to get his attention. "Earth to Logan!"

"Sorry, what?" asks Logan distractedly. He pulls his thoughts away from his dad and focuses on Carlos who is waiting with abnormal patience.

"Are you okay?" Carlos asks him simply. "You kind of zoned out on me for a minute there. What's up? You're not having second thoughts about this, are you?"

"No way!" Logan shakes his head quickly. "No, I was just thinking about. . . how great this will be." He briefly toys with the idea of asking Carlos what his dad will think, but even mild tempered Carlos can get angry at just the mere mention of Ryan Mitchell. It's a sensitive subject for everyone, really. Logan doesn't want to spoil the good mood that is slowly warming up the chilly atmosphere of the house.

At first, Carlos looks like he might not believe Logan. Then he smiles again and it's like he never suspected anything. "You'll see," he promises. "We'll make this the best Christmas ever."

It's so easy to believe Carlos when he's excited and determined like this. No matter how level headed Logan is, there are times when Carlos can convince him of anything. Tonight is one of those times. Maybe it's the magic of the season but Carlos has trumped the former gloom that was over the house just minutes ago.

The attic is dark and musty, lit by only a single light bulb in the middle of the room. Logan fumbled around at first before he finally found the cord. "Aha!" he exclaimed cheerfully. "And there was light!"

"Barely," Carlos remarks. He glances around the room. "So, where are the decorations?"

"There should be marked boxes," Logan tells him, looking in the opposite direction of Carlos. "But they might be a little buried because we haven't used them in a while." He carefully shoves aside a small stack of boxes, glancing behind them.

"Did you find them?" Carlos asks, looking through another pile. Logan doesn't answer him and he glances over his shoulder. "Logan?" But Logan is still completely quiet and finally Carlos turns around and crosses the room to where Logan is standing. "Logie?"

"I found the Christmas stuff," Logan says, the unexpected sound of his voice making Carlos jump. "Look." He takes hold of a box and lifts it up, stepping to the side and into an open space in the cramped room.

Carlos crowds in close to his friend and finally sees what has him so entranced. "Oh," he says quietly.

On the very top of the box is a picture. A picture of Logan and both his parents. He's so small that Carlos can tell right away that it's his first Christmas. He's never seen a baby picture of his best friend, he realizes. Not until now.

Tall, blond haired and blue eyed, Ryan Mitchell is the odd one out in the picture. Carlos has never seen him so genuinely happy before. His wife, Rebekah is petite, dark haired, dark eyed. Both of them are smiling widely. In the middle, held up by both of them is Logan, a miniature replica of his mother, except for his smile. Carlos has never realized it until now, but Logan has his dad's smile. He's heard that a picture speaks a thousand words, but this one alone speaks more than that. Maybe over a million.

It's a glimpse into his friend's life when it was a good one. When he had both parents, alive and well and full of love. When they were complete and Logan had everything that he deserved. Sure it was long before he met Kendall, James, and Carlos, but looking at this picture, Carlos can see that Logan wasn't in need of anything else. The hardest part isn't that Logan doesn't have any of this now. The hardest part is that Logan doesn't clearly remember having any of it.

"I've never seen this picture before," Logan says so softly that Carlos can barely hear him. "At least. . . I don't think I've ever seen it before. Maybe I have and I just forgot. I mean, it's on the top of this box so it's not like it was buried or lost or anything like that."

Carlos listens to Logan's little ramble and then touches him gently on the shoulder. "Are you okay?" he asks after a brief moment of silence.

Logan flashes him a quick, but genuine smile. "Yeah," he says simply. "Sorry about that, Carlos, I was just thinking. I'm okay though." He tucks the framed photo carefully under one arm and stands up. "I guess we can start with this box, right? It looks like there are some good things in here." He digs through the contents of the box, looking highly interested. "Wow, I haven't seen some of these things in so long that I forgot we even had them!"

It's ironic that Logan is perfectly fine while Carlos just wants to cry over his friend's miserable and cheerless Christmases. None of this is right at all. But for Logan's sake, he smiles too and watches as he continues to look through the box. "Let's get everything down before we take everything out," he suggests when Logan seems to get lost in thought once again.

"Oh, right!" Logan blushes a little and carefully replaces the items, being extra cautious with his precious family picture. "Do you want to take this down and I'll look for another?"

"Sounds good to me," Carlos agrees readily. He accepts the box from Logan, making sure to hold it tightly so that nothing will be harmed. Then he walks slowly down the attic stairs and places it in the hallway before returning to Logan.

The boys repeat the process several times with Logan handing Carlos boxes of Christmas things and Carlos walking them down the stairs and piling them carefully in the hall. In only a short while, Logan has found every Christmas box in the attic and they're all ready to start decorating.

"So," Logan kneels on the floor in front of a box and pulls out a string of lights, before glancing up at the other teen. "Where do we start?"

"Well, it's late and dark out so we'll do those tomorrow." Carlos decides. "Let's work on the inside today." He opens another box and finds only Christmas tree decorations. "We'll have to get a tree too," he says almost to himself.

After a little while, Logan simply sits back and watches as Carlos opens each box and inspects all of the contents. His mind is still spinning with the day's most recent developments. Not only is he not alone, but he's also getting ready for Christmas, something he hasn't done in years. His mood has been lifted in a surprisingly short amount of time.

Pulling out the picture of his family again, Logan looks at it while Carlos continues to empty the boxes and talk to himself. He tries to remember what it was like to have both parents. If he concentrates really hard, he can remember the sound of her laugh and the way her arms felt around him. He can remember his dad making up bedtime stories and using funny voices for all the characters. He can remember her singing to him after the stories until he fell asleep. He remembers more than anyone would think, but he's too afraid to share his memories in case speaking them out loud might make some of the details fade.

"Carlos," he says quietly, interrupting Carlos' monologue about the garland. "Where should we put this?"

Carlos carefully takes the picture frame into his own hands and looks at it. "Somewhere very special," he tells Logan as he rises to his feet. "Grab that strand of garland and follow me. I think I have the perfect spot."

Logan follows him into the family room and watches as Carlos first drapes the garland over the mantle of the fireplace and then places the picture in the very center. "There," he says in satisfaction, stepping backwards to inspect his work. "What do you think?"

Logan doesn't have to answer him. His shinning face is enough. "It's perfect," he whispers like he's afraid to break the spell that has settled over the house. "Thanks, Carlos." He stares at it for a while and then shakes his head. "What next?"

For the next hour and a half, Carlos and Logan unpack the boxes and spread the decorations all throughout the house. Carlos assumes the unfamiliar post as leader and Logan does exactly as he's told, looking more and more excited as the house finally starts to look ready for Christmas. At some point, Carlos turns the radio on to the local station and they listen to Christmas music. Sometimes they talk, sometimes they sing along with the radio and other times they work in a companionable silence.

It's after 11:00 at night when they're just about finished until tomorrow. They shove everything out of the way and then get ready for bed before going downstairs to the basement. Carlos makes sure the bring a couple of old Christmas movies on VHS downstairs and soon they're watching _Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer_, Carlos quoting it nearly word for word while Logan tries to remember what happens.

"Carlos," he says, his eyes on the screen. "What is Christmas Day like at your house?"

Lowering the volume, Carlos turns to face his friend. "Well," he says slowly. "My parents don't let us get up until 7:00. Sometimes my littler sisters all get up earlier than that so they come in my room and we watch Christmas DVDs on my laptop until it's time to go down. Then we downstairs and my mom takes a picture of all of us with our stockings and then we open presents. We don't just tear them all open though. Every time we get a gift, we have to give one. And we have to watch everyone open their presents too. When all the presents are unwrapped, we eat breakfast and then we just stay all together at home."

Chewing thoughtfully on his bottom lip, Logan asks the question that's been nagging at him for a while now. "What do you think my dad will think about everything we did today? About everything we're going to do?"

Carlos thinks carefully about Logan's question. "I don't know," he says honestly. "It would be awesome if he really liked it. Just like you."

To Logan's embarrassment, tears filled his eyes. He ducked his head away from Carlos and spoke into his pillow. "I really want him to like it, Carlos. I want it to make him happy. But you know what? All the decorations and the music and everything we still have to do. . . that's not what makes me happy. Having you hear with me has made me happy. And I'm just afraid that I can't be what you are for me to my dad. Does that make sense?"

"Logie," Carlos says softly, scooting closer to his friend and touching him on the shoulder. "I bet you do make your dad happy. He's not alone with you."

"Sometimes it feels like I'm all alone even when we're together," Logan admits. "I mean, I'm really glad I have him, Carlos, don't get me wrong. Some kids don't have any parents at all and some kids have parents who abuse them."

Carlos stiffens slightly and before he can stop himself, the word are out of his mouth. "Logie,you dad has never hurt you like that, has he?"

Logan shakes his head quickly. "No, Carlos." he says right away. "I think my dad still loves me. It's just that. . . I don't think he can really love me that much if he doesn't take care of himself."

In the background, Rudolph and his friends are being escorted into the castle on the Island of Misfit Toys, but Carlos ignores it. "What do you mean?" he whispers.

"Carlos, I have a really serious question for you." Logan says, looking back up at his friend. "If someone hates who they are or doesn't think that they deserve to be cared about, do you think that they can really love other people?"

Carlos doesn't have to think at all to answer that one. "No," he says right away, but gently because he knows it will probably hurt Logan. "Not as much as they deserve anyway. Logie, that's why I think your dad is the way he is. Because he misses your mom so much that he let himself get lost in his sadness for her. Maybe he wonders what he did to deserve losing her and maybe he thinks that it's his fault in a way. I think that he even questions what he did to deserve you as a son too. Not in a bad way. I just think that he might think you're too good of a person to be his son. And honestly, you are, Logan."

"My dad is a good person," Logan says unconvincingly. "He's just. . . broken."

"Yeah," agrees Carlos. "He is broken. He's so broken that he can't see the good things anymore."

"I want to help him see the good things," Logan sighs. "I want to fix him. Do you think that's impossible, Carlos?"

Yes. Carlos does think it's impossible. He's too young to clearly remember Ryan Mitchell before he became the empty shell of a man he is now. But he has heard his parents talk about him before. Like how he was always laughing and always joking and always. . . always _happy._ They talk about things that Carlos can't even imagine.

Carlos can't see any of that in Logan's dad now. All he sees is a man living half a life and even fading away from that. And he honestly can't see how they can fix him now. But he'll never in a million years, tell Logan that. Besides, he'll always believe in the magic of Christmas. It's a time for miracles. "Nothing's impossible, Logie."

"Maybe when he comes home," Logan says thoughtfully. "These decorations will cheer him up and he'll start to come back to me. Maybe we'll have a real Christmas this year."

Carlos pretends to be fascinated with a loose strand in his sleeping bag so Logan doesn't see the doubt in his face. "Maybe." he says, forcing cheerfulness in his voice.

"I guess we'll find out," Logan says. "We'll make it impossible for him to ignore or forget. We'll make everything so beautiful and happy that he just has to come back and I'll have a family again."

"Logan," Carlos' throat is aching with the tears that are threatening. "You know that no matter what happens, you'll always have us, right?"

"Of course I do, Carlitos." Logan says with a genuine smile. "I'll be okay no matter what happens. But at the same time, I can't help hoping that things might finally change this year. Change for the better, you know?"

Carlos nods wordlessly and looks up at the TV where the misfit toys are singing now. Logan is perfectly content now, but Carlos finds it impossible to pay attention to the innocent Christmas movie. Right now, he's thinking that maybe he made the wrong choice in bringing Christmas back to Logan's house.

Logan is overjoyed right now, but what happens if his dad comes back and is untouched by his son's attempt? When you're flying high, where do you go but down? Carlos is afraid that in trying to make Logan happier, he's only set his best friend up for even further disappointment.

Christmas has always been his favorite time of year, but it wasn't until a few years ago that Carlos changed some of his views on the holiday. It's no longer about getting, but about giving. It's not about material things, but about faith, love, joy, and peace. His Christmas list went from having _Power Rangers_ on it to having things like, Logan getting his teeny tiny family back and to have everyone love each other. Why couldn't people see that love made everything easier? Love was all anyone ever needed.

Deep down inside he knew why. It was because it was a broken world that he and his friends and family lived in. There wasn't enough of giving love and there wasn't enough of receiving love either. People were so wrapped up in themselves that they forgot about everyone else around them. And Carlos knew that all the Christmas songs and decorations couldn't do a thing to change that.

The problem with people and Christmas was that everyone looking for the magic of Christmas in the material things, like lights and presents and cards and music. When really all they needed to do was realize that the true magic of Christmas could not be bought or seen or touched or heard. It was still there though. It was there for everyone and it was free. It was love.

Carlos glances back over at Logan to see that he's fast asleep with a small smile on his face. He switches off the TV and lays down too, staring into the darkness of the room. No matter what, he tells himself, Logan is going to have the best Christmas ever. And it be because he won't be alone this year or any year from now on. Carlos isn't going to let that happen. He's not going to lose Logan like Logan lost his dad.

As soon as James and Kendall come back, Carlos plans to tell them about his plan. They've let this go on for far too long and they're fortunate they still have Logan with them. They're fortunate that he's a completely different person than his dad. He's the strongest person any of them will ever know. He has a courage that his dad will never know and they're going to help him stay that way. As long as they don't leave him alone, Carlos is confident that Logan is going to be okay.

"Carlos?" Logan has woken up, but he still sounds dreamy and half asleep.

"Yeah, buddy?' Carlos props himself up on one elbow and looks in the direction of Logan's voice. "What's up?"

Logan yawns and then pulls his blanket closer around him. "I just wanted to say thanks one more time. Not just for tonight though. For everything. For always being there for me. You and Kendall and James and all of your families. Sometimes I forget that I really do have a family. A huge one."

Carlos is momentarily stunned into silence. Even while he was asleep for that brief amount of time, Logan seems to have read his mind. "You'll always have a family, Logie." he says softly. "You'll always have us, I promise. We won't ever leave you."

"I know that," Logan sniffs and Carlos hears the blanket rustle a little as he moves to wipe his tears away. "Carlos, I want this Christmas to bring my dad back to me but even if it doesn't. . . I know I'll be okay. Sometimes I miss my mom and I miss my dad and I miss the way things were before, but you know what?"

"What?" Carlos' voice cracks slightly.

"When I remember that I have all of you, it all goes away. All the pain and sadness. I know you always say that I'm really strong and brave and everything but I wouldn't be able to do it without you guys. You're really amazing people yourselves. So thanks, Carlos."

He just wishes that he could help more, because it feels like he could never do enough. "Any time, bro." Carlos whispers into the darkness.

**A/N. Thanks to FishStickFriday for pointing out a mistake in the previous chapter. For clarification, the boys are _fifteen_ in this story. Sorry about that, guys. I'm hoping to update this story soon as while as post another one-shot, but I have finals this week and next week, so I'll be pretty busy. In the meantime, I love you all and I hope you have a wonderful week. **

**Oh, and if you could all keep the family I mentioned above in your prayers, it would mean so much to me. So much has happened to them and they don't deserve any of it. It's breaking my heart because I know I can't do anything to help them. It's been even harder lately because it's so close to Christmas. SP please, keep them in your prayers. **


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N. I'm so sorry for the long wait, guys (and I've fallen behind on reviews too!). I just finished school though and I'm off until January 24th, so hopefully I'll be able to get back on track with my reading and writing. Here's chapter three and I hope to have another one shot done soon as well. I don't own anything.**

_Have yourself a merry little Christmas. Let your heart be light. From now on, our troubles will be out of sight." - Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blaine._

Carlos is the first to wake up the next morning. He stretches, stiff from sleeping on the floor, and confused at first. Glancing around the room, he sees Logan still fast asleep a few feet away, and he realizes he's in his best friend's basement. Then he remembers what happened yesterday and what he's doing at Logan's house.

He gets up slowly, being careful to wake Logan. It's odd that Carlos is awake first because Logan has always been a light sleeper and an early riser. But as he looks at his best friend closely, Carlos can see just how tired Logan looks and he immediately decides against waking him. Instead, he'll surprise him with chocolate chip pancakes. Logan's favorite breakfast to have has always been chocolate chip pancakes and it's one of the few things that Carlos actually knows how to make.

Fortunately, he's also familiar with the Mitchell's kitchen so it's easy for him to find everything. Carlos crosses his fingers, hoping that he won't wake Logan up with all the banging around that is pretty much inevitable and then he starts getting everything out. Almost right away, he fails in Part One of his good intentions and he pulls the electric skillet out from under a pile of pots and pans, sending them to the floor with a loud crash.

Cringing, Carlos stays frozen in place, waiting for the last pan to stop spinning around so he can listen to hear if the noise woke Logan up. He's pretty sure that it did, since normally the slightest noise can disturb Logan from sleeping and this particular incident was the equivalent of an earthquake to him.

"Carlos?"

Disappointment floods through Carlos but he shrugs it off and calls out in reply. "In the kitchen!" _Stupid klutz_, he scolds himself.

Logan appears from the hallway, staring in confusion at the mess all over the kitchen floor and Carlos standing still, holding the skillet with a guilty expression on his face. Despite his confusion, Logan smiles a little bit. "Carlos, what are you doing?"

"I, um," A blush heats up Carlos' face and he sets the skillet on the counter and then drops to the floor to pick up the scattered pots and pans. "I was going to make breakfast and. . . all of this fell out of the cabinet."

"You didn't get hurt, did you?" asks Logan somewhat anxiously. He joins Carlos on the floor to help him pick up, but he's studying his friend carefully.

Carlos shakes his head quickly. "No, not at all." he assures Logan. "I don't think I broke anything either."

"You didn't." Logan takes on the reassuring role as he stands up.

"I'm sorry I woke you." Carlos mumbles. He stands up too, but keeps his eyes on the floor.

Logan's eyebrows shoot up in surprise. "It doesn't matter, Carlos." he says gently. "It's almost 9:30 anyway, I should be up. I wasn't expecting you to be up already." he adds with a small laugh.

Carlos can't help but laugh as well. "I know, me neither. But I did wake up and I was going to make chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast. You know, to surprise you."

At the mention of the planned and failed surprise, Logan's face brightens. "Really? That's awesome, Carlos! But we can still have chocolate chip pancakes. I'll just help you." He crosses the room to the pantry to search for the pancake mix and chocolate chips. Glancing over, he sees that Carlos is still looking slightly disappointed and he softens just a bit. "Thanks for the thought, buddy. You're awesome, did you know that?"

It's impossible to be upset for very long around Logan, especially when he's so happy like he is now. Carlos grins and gives a small shrug. "Yeah, I know it. You're pretty cool too, Logie."

The boys fall into an agreed silence then and simply work. The pancakes are from a boxed mix, so it's not difficult and it doesn't take too long at all. Right before they sit down, Carlos switches the radio on to the local Christmas station and then grabs a pad of paper and a pencil.

"So," he says, making room for the paper. "What do you want to do today?"

Logan's eyes are big as he considers Carlos' question carefully. "Well," he begins, seeming to forget about breakfast. "I don't know. . . what do you think we should do today?"

Carlos tries to ignore the unpleasant thoughts of just how _clueless _Logan is with all the Christmas planning. He's realized by now that his best friend and dad haven't celebrated Christmas in years, but he's still amazed at the full lengths Ryan Mitchell has gone to so that they have completely ignored Christmas all together. "Um" he helps himself to a couple pancakes and pretends to focus on cutting them up so he can think. "I guess we should probably finish decorating around the house and then put the lights on outside."

"And then?" Logan asks, eager to hear more plans.

Logan's enthusiasm is contagious and Carlos starts to cheer up. "I don't know," he says after another short pause. "I guess we'll have to see how much we'll get done today."

"That makes sense," Logan readily agrees. "Carlos, how are we going to get the outside lights on the house by ourselves?"

Carlos has been thinking of the same exact thing since he first came up with the idea to help Logan celebrate Christmas. He leans on one elbow as he thinks. The very last thing he wants to do is actually say that they can't do something and risk disappointing Logan. He knows that Logan will act like it doesn't bother him that much, but he would never be able to fool Carlos. They've known each other for too long. Mentally crossing his fingers, he gives Logan a half smile and then says, "Very carefully."

Logan doesn't go into a list of things that could happen with this potentially dangerous and stupid idea. He doesn't worry over the fact that there are no adults present and that they really shouldn't do this. He doesn't look more excited either, merely hopeful. And somehow that's even worse. "Okay," he says quietly, already lost in thought of what they might be able to do.

They _have _to do this, Carlos decides right then and there. If this was at his house, then he might be able to brush off the outside lights as a task far too difficult and dangerous without adult supervision. Carlos can be reckless but he's not completely stupid. He knows that this is probably a bad idea. But he also knows that they'll be really careful and probably wind up perfectly fine. He knows that will make it worth it and that they can't forget it as some little detail. It's going to happen.

* * *

><p>After breakfast, the boys clean up and then set about the task of finishing the inside decorations, even going so far as to clear away a corner in the family room for a tree. "We'll get the tree after we put the lights up outside," Carlos tells Logan. He doesn't say anything else out loud, but on the inside, he wonders and hopes that they'll be able to find a decent tree so close to Christmas.<p>

"When did you get your tree?" Logan asks curiously as he and Carlos start to pull on their winter clothes so they can go outside.

"A little over a week ago," Carlos replies. "At the tree lot up the street from our house. We drove the van and then tied it to the roof."

"How will we get our tree home?"

Carlos zips up his coat and then glances at Logan who is staring at him with a serious, almost worried expression on his face. "I don't know," he says honestly. "We'll figure out something though, Logie. You have to have a Christmas tree."

Logan is satisfied by that answer and picks up an armload of coiled light strings. "Ready to go out then?" he asks, his voice muffled by the scarf that he has wrapped around his neck.

Bracing himself for the cold, Carlos nods. "Ready."

There's always a small part of him that hates living in Minnesota where the winters are miserable and freezing. He loves playing hockey with his best friends on their frozen pond and he loves having snowball battles with the whole neighborhood, but that's about all he really likes. It snows too much, making it difficult to get around except for on foot and it's often too cold to enjoy himself for very long. Sometimes, Carlos wishes he could fly south for the winter like the birds.

He _could have _flown south this winter. For a few days anyway. With his family. But then, Logan would be alone. And that's even less okay then getting tired of the snow and cold. So really, everything is absolutely okay right now.

"Do you have an outlet anywhere?" Carlos asks once they're outside in the twenty degree weather.

"Out here?" Logan asks. He points over by the door. "Right there. Is that okay? I bet we have extension cords somewhere in the basement or the garage. Want me to check?"

"Nope," Carlos shakes his head. "Not right now anyway. This outlet should work just fine." He bends down by the outlet and then he sticks one strand of lights in it. "Ha!" he exclaims when they light up right away. "Perfect!"

Logan actually claps his hands together once, still holding onto his own strand of lights. "They look great!" he says happily.

In a way, Logan reminds Carlos of his younger sisters. Except Logan is fifteen. But it doesn't matter. Logan hasn't had a real Christmas in years. He hardly even remembers his last Christmas. Besides, he's normally almost always too serious and solemn. He's allowed to get this excited. It's fun seeing this side of him.

"Now," Carlos instructs, stepping back a bit and letting the lights unwind on their own. "We'll drape this strand all over the porch railing. Then we'll do the bushes and-" he glances upwards at the gray sky. It's not snowing now and hopefully it won't later on. "Then we'll see about the roof."

"So do you help your dad a lot?" Logan asks as they work. "With decorating I mean? Is that why you know what to do? I bet James helps his dad too since it's just him and his parents. And Kendall too. I bet Kendall does most of it actually."

"Probably," Carlos agrees with all of it. "Yeah, I help my dad. So do all of my sisters. And my mom. We all help Christmas is a big family-" _You're going too far _a voice warns him a little too late. "Christmas is a big family thing." he finishes lamely, trying to make it hurt Logan as little as possible.

But Logan doesn't look too bothered by this, much to Carlos' surprise. If anything, he looks even more encouraged. "I bet what we're doing right now," he gestures around them at the pathetically tangled up lights that somehow, miraculously, still work. "I bet it's going to save Christmas for my family. Me and my dad. I bet it'll bring it back for us."

Carlos wishes that James and Kendall were with them too. They're older and besides, Kendall knows how to handle Logan better than anyone else. Carlos is the youngest, almost always the most innocent of the group. He hardly knows what to do with himself right now, much less Logan. _What would Kendall say, what would Kendall say?_

"Maybe," Carlos winces, hating himself for the only thing he could think of to say. He should have just kept quiet. "I hope." Keeping quiet isn't really his thing.

Logan is too understanding. He smiles at Carlos and tosses him some of the lights. "Even if this doesn't work. . . like I said last night. . . I'll have you."

Carlos wishes it could be easy to believe Logan, but he's still so afraid. He's afraid of Ryan Mitchell coming home and tearing Logan down all over again. He loves seeing Logan so happy like he is now. He doesn't want that to ever go away. Logan deserves to be happy. _I hope I'll be enough_ he thinks, while at the same time he smiles through his fear.

"So," Logan tips his head up at the sky. "How are we going to do the roof?"

Carlos bites his lip and studies the roof of Logan's house closely. "It doesn't look that hard to walk on. We could just crawl out the window and-"

"Carlos, that sounds dangerous!" Logan exclaims, returning to the Logan who Carlos knows so well. We're just kids and we don't have any adults to help us and what if one of us slips and falls? Or both of us? What if we both fall off the roof?"

"We're fifteen," Carlos reminds him. "Yeah, it's not like we're adults, but we're not little kids, Logan. And like I said, we'll be careful. We could at least try, right?"

He waits for Logan's response anxiously. And while he completely expects Logan to refuse once again, he's surprised when the other boy gets a determined look on his face and nods. "Okay. Let's try then."

If it wasn't so heartbreaking, Logan's excitement and determination over every little bit of decorating might be considered funny. It's like he and Carlos ave switched roles sometime in the last two days and Carlos is the responsible one, encouraging and pushing Logan to go a little bit further, while Logan is the one who is acting like a little kid. And when he thinks about it, Carlos really doesn't mind at all. He's willing to do whatever he can for Logan at the moment.

"What if we used a rope?" Logan suggests out of the blue as the boys head back inside to go to the upstairs windows.

"Huh?" Carlos asks, snapping out of his thoughts and turning to look at Logan, slightly confused. "A rope?"

Logan nods patiently. "A rope," he begins to explain. "Two ropes actually. One for each. We'll tie one end around our waist and the other to something sturdy either on the roof or just inside. That way if we fall, we shouldn't get hurt. A safety precaution."

At that, Carlos can't hold back a laugh. Logan is swinging wildly back and forth between childlike excitement and paranoid caution. It's too amusing to not enjoy. "Do you have rope?"

"It should be somewhere in the basement," Logan tells him. "I'll be right back."

"Do you need help?" Carlos calls after him as he starts to leave.

"I'll be fine, thanks."

Carlos stays where he is then and looks around the house. It looks so much better than it did just a day ago. Warmer and cheerier. How could anyone ever let it get so dark and depressing, especially around Christmastime? He doesn't blame Logan. Logan was practically raised without celebrating Christmas. But he does blame Logan's father and although Carlos has a certain amount of sympathy for the man who lost his beloved wife, it's really not that much. It's one thing to mourn your wife's death and never remarry, but it's another thing entirely to let your grief consume you so much that you practically disappear from everyone's life, including your own son's life. Would it really been that hard for Ryan Mitchell to at least get a Christmas tree?

"Ready, Carlos?"

Blinking is surprise, Carlos finds that Logan is standing right in front of him, his arms full of rope. He bites back another grin. "Is that enough rope?" he asks teasingly.

Logan blushes a little and tosses some of the rope at him. "You'll thank me when we get through this without breaking any bones." he retorts good naturedly.

"You're probably right," Carlos gives in with a small laugh. "Then we'll figure out how to get a Christmas tree."

As they walk upstairs, Carlos starts thinking of a way they could get a tree. They don't have a car and neither of them could drive even if they did. His parents have already left for the airport and there's no chance they could help now. The nearest lot is three miles from Logan's house. On foot is their only option, really.

Logan shoves his bedroom window open and ties one end of the rope around his waist. "The drain pipe will probably be strong enough to hold us. Just be careful when you first go out."

Carlos watches as Logan climbs out on the roof first and carefully secures himself to the house. He wonders how badly it would hurt if they did fall and landed on the snowy yard. It wasn't like the roof was too high. Wouldn't the snow be enough to pad the fall? But he knows better than to question Logan, so he follows his example. They probably look ridiculous to any neighbors who might be watching, but Carlos is used to that.

The job is fairly easy, despite numbed fingers and being somewhat restricted in movement thanks to Logan's "safety precaution". Logan and Carlos have the house fully decorated just after noon time and after a small debate, decide to skip lunch in favor of getting a tree. Since Logan isn't particularly big on skipping meals since it isn't the healthy thing to do, Carlos is reminded again of just how important a tree is to him, and ignores how hungry he is.

"So, where is the tree lot?" Logan asks as they head outside yet again. "And how are we going to get a tree all the way over here? It's not good if you drag them, right? All the needles will fall off."

"Yeah." Carlos shoves his hands inside his coat pocket and stares up at the sky. "Do you have a sled?"

Logan shakes his head. "Mine broke when we were nine, remember? I've always used Kendall's extra sled."

"Right." Kendall isn't here of course. "What if we stopped by my house since it's on the way and grab my sled? We can tie the tree to the sled and pull it. That way we'll be dragging it, but the needles shouldn't fall off." That's what he's hoping anyway.

"You're right," Logan says with a nod. "Great idea, Carlos! Do you have a key?"

"Yup! Let's go!"

All four of them live within a half hour long walk from each other. Logan lives between Carlos and Kendall, while Kendall and James live right down the street. Within ten minutes, they've arrived at Carlos' house. Predictably, the door is locked and the shades are drawn. It's strangely quiet and empty, hardly recognizable without Carlos' large and happy family inside.

Even Carlos is unnerved by the unfamiliar atmosphere and hurries through the house to the door that connects to his garage. "I just took my sisters sledding yesterday," he tells Logan. "So they're right in the front of the door."

"I wish I had a sibling," Logan says quietly. He stops suddenly then, a distant, upset, look on his face. "How much are Christmas trees anyway, Carlos?"

Confused by Logan's abrupt change of subject and attitude, Carlos takes a while to answer. "Oh, uh, I don't really know, It depends on the size, I guess. Hey, Logie? Would you rather have a sister or a brother?"

Logan seems reluctant to continue the conversation. "I don't know," he says with a shrug. "I guess the obvious answer would be a brother, but you and Kendall seem to really enjoy your sisters. So are you ready to go?"

He's surprised now. Logan has never seemed so bent on avoiding talking about something before. In fact, Carlos realizes, they've never talked about him having a brother or sister before. They hardly talk about his family, but _never_ about the fact that he's an only child. "Sure," he answers Logan, letting the subject drop. "Let's go."

So they leave for the tree lot, dragging the sled behind them Carlos listens to Logan talk on and on about the decorations for the tree. "I made a lot of them when I was younger. My parents and I had this tradition. . . until I was about eight I guess anyway. . . we made an ornament every year. I think my mom did most of the work until I was probably four, but it was always fun."

"Maybe we can make another one this year," Carlos suggests, hoping to make up for his earlier mistake that was pushing Logan into talking about being an only child.

"Sounds good to me!" Logan agrees cheerfully.

They reach the tree lot, which is unfortunately, very scare of any decent trees. Actually, they look only a little better than Charlie Brown's tree from _A Charlie Brown Christmas_. Glancing in concern at Logan, Carlos is relieved to see that he doesn't look too let down. "I'm sure we can find something here," he says encouragingly, just in case.

"I think we will," Logan agrees, sounding a lot more confident. "And if not. . . well, we'll find something."

They walk down the aisles together, inspecting the trees. Most of them are obviously bad choices, with huge bald spots or crooked trunks. Or they're way too tall or short or fat or skinny. Carlos knows that they can't find the perfect tree, but he was hoping for something better then the somewhat pathetic selection they have here.

"I think," Logan says after a while. "I think that we just need to pick one and take it home. It looks like they all just need a little love."

It would be funny if Logan knew _A Charlie Brown Christmas_ to know that he was practically quoting Linus in one of the scenes. But Carlos just nods in agreement. "You're probably right, Logan. You pick one. It's your tree."

"_Our_ tree." Logan corrects, distractedly as he looks around him. He sighs and points off to his left. "This one doesn't look too bad," he says after a while. "What do you think, Carlos? You know more about Christmas trees than me."

Not that picking a Christmas tree is exactly a science. But Carlos doubts that would make Logan feel any better. He joins Logan by the particular tree and looks closely at it. It's small and there's one fairly bald spot, but they can turn it to the wall. "I think this one is good. You like it, right?"

Logan walks around it a few time. "I do," he says at last. "Let's go see how much it is."

"Can I help you boys?"

Just in time, the owner of the lot walks up to join them. He recognizes Carlos and smiles at him. "I thought you and your family already got a tree."

"We did!" Carlos tells him with a smile. "But my friend Logan needs a tree. This one doesn't seem to have a price tag though."

"It must have fallen off," the man tells him. He glances at it and then shrugs. "I'm sorry we don't have a better one for you boys to take home. Tell you what, since it's so close to Christmas and it's a pretty sad tree, how about we say it's a present from me to you?"

Logan turns bright red and shakes his head. "Oh no, I can't let you do that! It's too much to ask for."

"Logan, right?" the man asks, waiting for Logan to nod. "It's not too much to ask for at all. Take it home and have a good Christmas, okay?"

Logan is about to protest again, but Carlos elbows him gently and nods. "Thank you so much!" he says pointedly. "That's really generous of you!"

Logan gets the message and gives in. "Thank you," he says quietly, looking at the tree with new eyes. "I won't forget this."

"Merry Christmas, boys!" the guy tells them with another huge smile. "Get home safely, okay? It's supposed to start snowing again soon."

Carlos pulls out the extra rope they brought and together, he and Logan lower the tree carefully to the sled, before tying it on. "When we get home," he tells Logan as the first flakes start to fall. "We'll put it up in the stand, but we won't be able to decorate it right away. It's tied too tight right now, so we'll have to let the branches relax."

"We can eat lunch while we wait," Logan decides. "Let's just get home before the snow gets worse."

They may not have gotten the best tree, but at least Logan is happy with it. Carlos mentally checks Christmas tree off of his list of things to do and then immediately starts to concentrate on the rest of his plans. They're well on their way to helping Logan have his first Christmas in years.

**A/N. I'm off to see the Nutcracker with my family! Christmas tradition, yay! Thanks for reading, guys! I hope you all enjoy your weekend!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N. I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas! I didn't get Big Time Rush for Christmas so I still don't own them. . . Darn.**

"_As long as friends and family are with us, every star will shine tonight. We can make it beautiful this Christmas." - Beautiful Christmas by Big Time Rush_

The boys return to Logan's house just in time. The sun has started to set, darkening the world around them, and snow has started to fall once again, getting heavier in volume with each passing minute. Carlos shivers a little as he and Logan drag the tree up the porch steps and as close to the door as possible. He watches Logan fumble for the keys, blowing on his fingers before he can get a good grip. "Maybe we should leave it here overnight," he suggests, nodding to the tree.

"Why?" Logan asks, looking like Carlos said they should take it back to the tree lot.

"Well," Carlos shoves his hands inside his coat pockets and balls them into tight fists. "We won't be able to decorate it until tomorrow. The branches need to settle after being wrapped up so tightly. It'll be fine out here, Logan. It was outside in the tree lot, remember? Here, it's even safer. The porch is kind of a shelter for it."

Logan bites his bottom lip and continues to stare at the tree while speaking to Carlos. "But what if. . . what if someone steals it, Carlos?"

_If someone steals this tree, then I will hunt them down and find them and- _Carlos stares at Logan for a while, taking note of the embarrassed flush of red that colors his friend's face. "No one would-" he starts to say and then breaks off, shaking his head. "Go ahead and open the door, Logie. I'll bring it in."

They set the tree up in the corner of the family room and Carlos unties it, stepping backwards in a hurry as pine needles rain down on his head and shoulders. "There," he says in satisfaction. "What do you think, Logan?"

Logan stares at the tree, seeing past the bald spot and slightly scrawny build. "I think it's great," he says, looking and sounding so happy that Carlos has to look away and pretend to be absorbed in brushing away pine needles. "What do _you_ think, Carlos?"

It's crooked, scrawny and partially bald, not to mention shorter than Carlos himself. Honestly, it's one of the worst looking trees Carlos has ever seen in someone's house. But that's because he's grown up with having a grand Christmas tree in his living room every single year. Part of him wants to go back to his house and take his tree and put it in Logan's house. Logan deserves it way more than he does. But as he watches his friend walk around their sad excuse for a Christmas tree, Carlos realizes that this one might be perfect after all.

He can't explain it. There's just something fitting about how the small, sad tree fits perfectly in with the rest of Logan's small, sad life. Like Logan said earlier, all the tree needed was a little love and it could be changed for the better. Maybe the same is true for Logan himself. He can't love Logan and not love this little tree. It would be hypocritical of him. Then again, the tree is inanimate and Logan is a human being and Carlos' best friend, so-

"Carlos?"

Logan is still waiting patiently for Carlos' assessment of the tree. Carlos grins at him and then looks at the tree. "I think it's great too. Just wait until we decorate it tomorrow."

Logan smiles back at him and Carlos knows that he's said exactly the right thing. "Come on," he wraps his arm around Logan's shoulders and walks him into the kitchen. "Think we should do some baking?"

"Baking?" Logan repeats, a mixture of doubt and excitement in his voice. "Like, Christmas cookies? I don't know, Carlos. I can cook all right, but I've never really baked anything. Have you?"

"Sure!" Carlos nods enthusiastically and decides not to tell Logan that the only time he bakes is with his younger sisters as their mother helps and supervises the entire time. How hard can basic sugar cookies be?

"Okay. . ." Logan says slowly, letting himself be convinced all too easily. "I think we have a cookbook around here somewhere. Honestly, I taught myself to cook. I never looked at any recipes. I made it up as I went along and it usually turned out just fine."

"I have the recipe for sugar cookies memorized," Carlos assures him. "We make them every year for every holiday and all our birthdays. And, as you know, we celebrate a lot of birthdays in my family."

Logan laughs and nods. "Yeah, you do." he agrees. "Well, okay then. What do we need?"

"Um. . . sugar." Carlos says helpfully. "Lots of it. And salt, margarine and eggs. It's a pretty simple recipe."

"What about flour and baking soda? Aren't those standard baking ingredients?"

Carlos snaps his fingers and grins. "Right! I knew I forgot something!"

Logan looks skeptical. "Are you _sure_ you know what you're doing?"

"Okay, no not exactly." Carlos admits with a sigh. "But really, how hard can it be?"

"Not too hard, I guess." Logan gives in. "I just hope we have everything. We should." He starts opening up the cabinet doors and looking inside for the various ingredients that he and Carlos need for their cookies. "Do you want to preheat the oven?"

"Sure. . ." Carlos looks at the oven, trying to remember what temperature it's supposed to be at. Isn't 375 the temperature for most types of cookies? Anyway, how bad could it turn out if he's wrong?

Logan soon finishes getting everything out and he and Carlos set about combining all of the ingredients together in one big bowl. Logan doesn't question any of Carlos' instructions even though the other boy seems to be making wild guesses at the amount of flour and sugar and salt. A simple, "That looks right to me," is enough to convince him.

Unfortunately, there aren't any cookie cutters or sprinkles to decorate the cookies. While Carlos is in the middle of considering going home to get their supplies, he hears Logan come up with the most desperate and random solution ever. "What?" he asks, sure he heard wrong.

"What if. . ." Logan chews on his bottom lip and reached up to rub the back of his neck. "What if we just cut them ourselves into different shapes? It can't be that hard can it? And we can decorate them with. . . chocolate chips or. . ." Logan trails off, lot in thought as he searches through the kitchen. "We could sprinkle them with more sugar. Then they would at least sparkle. . . kind of."

Carlos is frustrated, but trying to hide it. He just wants to give Logan a good Christmas and so far things are only going so-so. They decorated the house all right, but the tree is crooked and a little bald, and now they can't even decorate the cookies properly. The worst part is that Logan is completely fine with all of it.

"You don't think it's a good idea." It's a statement, not a question, and Logan looks incredibly disappointed. Carlos shakes his head quickly. "No, Logan! It's a great idea! We could. . . make snowmen and sprinkle them with sugar and then use chocolate chips for the buttons and eyes and stuff. . ." He trails off, afraid that his faked enthusiasm might be unconvincing, but he's surprised when he sees Logan smile and nod.

"Awesome, so let's do it!"

They use butter knives of course, because Logan's normal, sensitive personality chooses that particular moment to make an appearance. Carlos ignores how crooked their pathetic little snowmen are because Logan seems to love it and he doesn't want to let him down.

The preheated oven warms them up quickly and after Carlos spills half of the flour all over the floor and Logan sweeps it up, they manage to get the first batch in the oven without anymore trouble. "What should we do while we wait?" Logan asks.

Carlos laughs a little at Logan. "Well, we'll only have to wait about ten minutes for each batch, so we don't want to go too far. What if we watch another Christmas movie?"

"I left the old movies in the other room," Logan tells him. "Let's go pick one out." He leads Carlos back into the family room where the TV is and pulls out the box of old videotapes. "We watched _Rudolph_ last night, right?"

"Yeah," Carlos sits down next to him and flips through the untouched collection of movies. "Let's see. . .How about _Frosty the Snowman_?"

Logan studies the cover and then nods. "Looks good to me."

It's totally beyond Carlos' comprehension that Logan knows so little about what Carlos and his little sisters grew up with during Christmas. He's tempted to ask his friend if he even knows what happens, but doesn't want to hurt his feelings. "This is Chloe's favorite movie," he says instead because he feels like he needs to say something.

"I know the song," Logan tells him. "And I think I'll remember what happens after we put it in. Like with _Rudolph _yesterday. I just need a reminder."

A reminder. It isn't as if Logan was in a coma for several weeks and lost part of his memory. There is no accident to blame for this. Only neglect on the part of his father and. . . and all of them. They let Logan's dad hurt him.

Carlos feels sick with the revelation. They've been around Logan since they were all five, so why did they let all of this happen? It's not just Christmas, but _everything_. They could have saved him so much heartache. They should have saved him so much heartache. It matters very little that Logan constantly insists that they make him happy, they still let him down.

Logan seems to be to into the start of the movie to notice Carlos at first. But soon, he glances over at him, concern in his brown eyes. "Are you okay, Carlos?" he asks very softly.

"I'm fine, Logie." Carlos lies, avoiding his friend's gaze. "I was just thinking. . ."

"Are you missing your family?" Logan inquires then, looking afraid of the answer.

Carlos turns so he's looking straight at Logan then and says firmly, "I am with my family. Just like Chloe said the other night, we're like brothers, Logan. Actually, we're not _like_ brothers. We _are _brothers as far as I'm concerned."

Logan brightens, but he still looks hesitant, like Carlos' words are too good to believe. "But what about your mom and dad and all your sisters? Don't you miss them?"

"I do," Carlos finally admits. "But only a little bit. They'll be back with my grandparents in time for Christmas and we'll all be together. I'm having a lot of fun with you, Logan, trust me. You're a great person to hang out with." He wants to go on and on and tell Logan what a fantastic, smart, selfless, funny and loyal person he is to be around, but Logan is already talking.

"So are you," Logan says right away. "Your whole family is really fantastic. And Kendall and James and their families too. I'm really lucky to have all of you."

The oven beeps suddenly, interrupting them. But as Logan jumps up to go check on the cookies, Carlos follows him, whispering, "You're not lucky if you have what you deserve." Logan deserves them even though they've let him down. Maybe they're the lucky ones. Because, the question that now plagues Carlos' mind and heart is, do they deserve Logan?

* * *

><p>The cookies taste absolutely horrible. Carlos knew there was something wrong with them as soon as Logan took them out of the oven. They were almost completely flat and the chocolate chips had melted straight through them onto the cookie pan. The sprinkled sugar that missed the cookies was burnt onto the pan and it immediately filled the kitchen with an unpleasant smell.<p>

But that is far from the worst part. Carlos has made cookies with his family that don't look all that great. It's disappointing, but what really matters is the taste. And these cookies are not even edible. Logan gagged and almost choked on the cookie he tried to eat and now he's still trying to drink away the taste with whatever he and his dad have in the fridge.

"Logan, that's beer." he says, taking a can of beer out of his friend's hand.

"Oh yeah," Logan blushes and goes for the orange juice again.

Carlos sighs and puts the beer where it belongs. . . in the trash can. . . and turn watches Logan. "So are you okay now?" he asks, not able to hide a smile.

Logan laughs. "Yeah, I'm fine. Those cookies are really horrible though. They're really salty."

"Oh." Carlos' eyes open wide. "Logan, I. . . I might have mixed up the salt and sugar. . ."

Logan starts laughing again, this time even harder than before. He laughs so hard that he gets tears in his eyes and Carlos wonders if he did consume any beer after all. "Are you drunk?" he finally can't help but ask.

"Drunk?" Logan repeats in disbelief, still laughing. "Carlos, no! You took the beer away from me, remember?" He finally gets control of himself and sits up, wiping at his eyes. "I don't know. . . I just. . .think it's really funny that we screwed up the cookies so much. What are we going to do with the rest of the dough?"

"I don't know," Carlos admits. He laughs and shrugs helplessly. "Logan, I know you think it's funny and all, but I'm still really sorry about this. I think we'll just have to throw them out. Maybe the animals can use it for food or-" He stops when he notices Logan giving him a horrified look. "What?"

"We can't feed this to the animals!" Logan explains, taking the dough away from Carlos. "It's not fit for human _or_ animal consumption." He tentatively sticks his fingers in the bowl and plays around with it. "I bet we could use it for some kind of. . . glue."

Carlos groans and slaps his forehead and the palm of his hand. "Is it really that bad?" he asks.

"Yup." Logan sniffs the dough and grimaces. "Oh well. It could be worse. At least it's not poisonous or anything. And we didn't burn anything." He sets the bowl of dough aside and begins to scrap the remains of the baked cookies off of the pan and into the trash can. "So what do you think we should do now?" he asks, glancing up at Carlos.

"I don't know." Carlos says glumly. Now the cookies went wrong. He's afraid to try anything else. "What do you want to do?"

Logan looks at the clock. "It's getting late. . . too dark to do anything outside. Let's watch another movie downstairs and then go to bed. Tomorrow we can decorate the tree and then go outside. We can go to the pond and skate and then maybe-" Logan suddenly cuts himself off and turns bright red.

"What do you want to do?" Carlos pushes, his eyes lighting up with curiosity.

"Well. . I was thinking. . ." Logan says slowly. "That we could do some other stuff outside. . . stuff we did when we were little kids. Like, build a snowman? And maybe a fort?"

Logan is completely serious so Carlos doesn't dare laugh. He doesn't even smile. He's afraid of hurting Logan's feelings when he's already had to deal with several letdowns over the past couple of days. Besides, he thinks Logan's ideas are absolutely fantastic. There aren't many ways you can screw up building snowmen and snow forts. "Sounds good to me," he replies, knowing that a simple answer is what Logan needs and wants right now.

Logan actually sighs in relief. "Great," he says, relaxing with a smile. "So let's just relax for the rest of tonight. We'll finish _Frosty_ and then you pick the next one. What is your favorite?"

"_The Grinch Who Stole Christmas_," Carlos says with a grin. "And that's the Dr. Seuss one, not the weird one with Jim Carrey."

"Well, lucky for you, I completely missed out on the latter," Logan says with a laugh. "Come on, let's go get ready."

After cleaning up the rest of the cookie disaster, the boys head back downstairs to the basement and finish _Frosty the Snowman_. They're about the start the next movie when Carlos' cell phone rings. "Hang on," he says to Logan who is by the VCR. "It's my dad."

"Hey, Dad." he says, watching Logan out of the corner of his eyes as he sits back on his heels and waits patiently. "Did you guys get to Florida all right?"

"We did," Mr. Garcia confirms. "The flight was very nice. We got to your grandparents' house a little while ago and we just ate a late dinner. Everyone says hi and we miss you."

"Tell them I said hi too." Carlos smiles. His eyes dart nervously to Logan who probably has no idea that he's staring longingly at his friend, obviously wishing he could be in the same position. Carlos' throat tightens up and he looks away. "How's the weather down there?" he asks jokingly, hoping to ease the tension. It works a little bit. A tiny smile crosses Logan's face as he continues to listen to Carlos' half of the conversation.

"Much warmer," his dad chuckles. "But enough about us, we'll be home soon enough. How are you boys holding up?"

"Great," Carlos responds cheerfully. "Last night Logan and I decorated the house and we got a tree today too. We're going to decorate it tomorrow after the branches settle. Oh, and we tried to make Christmas cookies, but something went wrong. I think we got the salt and sugar mixed up."

His dad laughs loudly and Carlos can hear people in the background asking what's so funny. "Anyway," he says with another smile. "Tomorrow should be pretty nice, so after we decorate the tree, we're probably going to spend the day outside. We'll go to the pond and mess around in the snow. Stuff like that."

"Good to hear. You boys have fun. Be careful though, okay? I know that you're both responsible, but it's different with the two of you and no family to help. Watch out for each other."

"Always," Carlos promises softly, glancing to Logan again. "I'll let you go now, Dad. Logan and I have been watching Christmas movies. We've already watched _Rudolph_ and _Frosty_."

"Not _The Grinch_?" his dad teases. "That's your favorite, buddy! What are you waiting for?"

"That's next actually," Carlos tells him. "So far I think Logie likes _Rudolph_. But hopefully he'll change his mind in an hour or so."

"They're all good movies," says Mr. Garcia. "I'd better let you boys get on with it."

"I love you, Dad. Tell Mom and the little sisters I said hi and that I love and miss them."

"We all love and miss you too, Carlos." his dad says warmly. "Hey, before you go, mind if I talk to Logan real quick?"

Carlos brightens and shakes his head even though his dad can't see him. "Not at all, that's a great idea! See ya, Dad." He surprises Logan when he tries to hand him the phone. "It's my dad," he says unhelpfully. "He wants to say hi to you."

Logan's eyes widen and he looks almost frightened at first. "He wants to talk to me?" he asks.

Carlos rolls his eyes. "He misses you too, Logie. They all do. He wants to talk to you. Humor him, please."

A blush colors Logan's face and he sticks his tongue out childishly at Carlos before taking the phone. "Hello?" he says shyly. "Hi, Papa."

A huge grin splits over Carlos' face and he trades places with Logan, pretending to be absorbed in setting up the movie, while he listens to the ones sided conversation.

"We're good. Yeah, Carlos has been great, thanks again. How are you guys? Did you get in safely?"

Carlos gives up on pretending he's not listening and turns around to stare at Logan, a small smile turning up the corners of his mouth when he sees how happy his friend is right now. He tries to avoid thinking of how Logan should be this happy all the time. He deserves to be this happy all the time. He _needs _to be this happy all the time.

"Yeah. We're hoping my dad will like it too." Logan is saying softly. "If not, then. . . well, _I love _it. I won't ever be sorry about what Carlos and I have been doing. It's all been worth it. I never noticed how much I missed it until yesterday."

Logan deserves so much better than the cheap, second rate Christmas the Carlos is giving him. Carlos bites his bottom lip and listens to the rest of the conversation while he tries to hold back tears that are surprising even him. Maybe he's just overly frustrated after so many disappointments.

"I love you all too," Logan's voice sounds funny and when Carlos looks up, his brown eyes are shinning with tears. "Take care." He hangs up the phone and stares at the blank TV for several long seconds. "Are you okay, Carlos?" he asks after a while.

"Me?" Carlos says, confused.

"Do you miss them?"

"Of course I do. . ." Carlos says slowly and carefully. "But I'd still rather be here with you. I'm just. . . Logan, I'm sorry everything has been going wrong today. I wish I could give you a better Christmas. You deserve-"

"Hey wait, are you serious?" Logan interrupts, shaking his head in disbelief. "Carlos, this has all been fantastic. _You've_ been fantastic."

"But. . ." Carlos shakes his head. "The decorations could probably be better, the tree is scrawny, the cookies were a disaster, and-"

"Carlos, is this movie anything like the book?" Logan asks, holding up video tape case.

Confused again, Carlos nods. "Yeah, it's just like the book. Why?"

Logan grins. "Let's just watch it then."

Unwilling to argue, Carlos sits back on the couch and obediently starts to watch it. At first, it isn't as enjoyable as it usually is when he watches it every year with his family. But that's not because he's not with his family, because just like Chloe said the day before, Carlos _is _with his family. It's because he's just so disappointed by everything that's gone wrong.

But then. . . as the movie progresses, Carlos realizes why Logan was so insistent on not arguing about the day and just watching the movie. He watches as the Grinch steals all of the Who's Christmas decorations and presents and food. He watches as he takes it up to the top of the mountain and prepares to drop it off the cliff. And then he closes his eyes and listens to the rest.

To his surprise, Logan quotes the last bit. "Maybe Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas perhaps, means a little bit more." Then he turned to Carlos and spoke softly enough so that they could still here the movie, but just loud enough to get his point across.

"Carlos, this has all been really great. The decorating, the tree, the movies, and even the cookies. It's been so much fun. But like I said before, the best part about all of this, is that I'm doing it with you. You're one of my best friends, Carlos, and it means so much to me that you're giving all of this to me and that it matters so much to you. But. . . and this is going to sound really corny, the best present you've given me is _you_. Your friendship is the best thing I could ask for and have, Carlos. The same with everyone else."

"Christmas isn't about decorations or anything else we've done today. Yeah, it's really nice and fun and now that we've done it this year, you're going to have to help me do it every year. But I wouldn't want to do it by myself. I have you and Kendall and James and all of your families. That's what Christmas is to me. My friends and family. I have no idea what I've done to deserve you, but I'm just so thankful for every one of you, every single day."

"Logan, you shouldn't be questioning why you have us." Carlos says quietly. "It's us who should be questioning why we have you. You're just too. . . good for anyone. You deserve the best."

"I already do have the best." Logan replies without pausing. "And maybe. . . maybe if we think that we don't deserve each other. . . that's what makes us deserve each other. I mean, all of you make me really happy and. . . and. . ."

"And you make all of us really happy." Carlos finishes. "And you're absolutely right about everything. Everything you said about Christmas is just. . . perfect, Logan. You're perfect."

Logan raises one eyebrow and shakes his head. "No one is perfect, not even you, Carlos. No matter what our lives are like, how good or bad they are, they're pretty messed up. But that's why we have each other. We have each other to care about and love and be happy together. For Christmas and every other day of the year."

**A/N. I feel like I need to use up this author's note by reminding you all that _this story is bromance only. No slash. _However, I am perfectly okay with those who choose to read it otherwise. . . lol. Have a great weekend, guys!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N. My goal is to finish this before school starts up again on the 24****th****. So far, so good. **

"_Christmas is all in the heart, that's where the feeling starts. And like a fire inside, it touches every part, 'cause Christmas is all in the heart." - 'Christmas is All In the Heart' by Steven Curtis Chapman._

In the morning, Carlos is awakened by Logan shaking him gently by the shoulder. "Logan?" he murmurs sleepily.

"Carlos, it's almost 11:00!" Logan tells him impatiently. He sounds wide awake and excited. "I've been up since 7:30, but I wanted to let you sleep. We can-"

Logan is forced to tumble backwards as Carlos sits up suddenly and quickly. "11:00!" Carlos repeats in disbelief. "Logan, you shouldn't have let me sleep so late! Why didn't you get me up sooner?"

"Because," Logan says, his voice already quieter and calmer for Carlos' benefit. "You got up earlier yesterday and we've been busy. I knew you would be tired. Plus, it's Christmas break. You should be sleeping in anyway."

"I can sleep in when we're finished everything," Carlos tells Logan. He stands up and starts walking to the door, Logan close at his heels. "We should be finished today anyway. All we have left is the tree, right? Then we can do whatever."

Slipping on ahead of Carlos, Logan steers his friend into the kitchen. "We'll decorate the tree after breakfast. I made sausage and scrambled eggs."

"My favorite!"

Logan grins. "I know. It's only fair since we ate my favorite breakfast yesterday. I'm sure it's not as good as what your mom or dad make, but I don't think it's all that bad."

Carlos eagerly takes a mixed forkful of the breakfast food and gives Logan a thumbs up. "Tastes great to me!" he assures him.

"Awesome," Logan sighs in relief and then joins Carlos at the table, helping himself to some of the food. "I have a quick question, Carlos." he says, glancing around the corner and into the family room where the tree is.

Taking a sip of orange juice, Carlos eyes Logan over the rim of his glass. "What is it, Logie?" he asks curiously.

"Remember how I said that me and my parents. . ." Logan blushes a little. "How we used to. . . make an ornament ourselves every year?"

Carlos is nodding already. "Of course I do," he says. "We're going to make one this year too, right?"

Logan's blush deepens. "Yeah. . ." he says, trailing off. "I was just wondering. . . uh, what do you think we should make?"

Carlos prods his friend's plate, reminding him to eat, and then leans back in his chair. "I guess it depends on what you already have made," he says simply. "We'll look at it all when we're done here."

"Right," says Logan, nodding in eager agreement. "I hope we can figure out something simple to make. I don't think we have a whole lot around here. My dad probably has glue and stuff like that in his office, but. . I doubt we could make anything colorful."

"You never know," Carlos says with a shrug. "We'll improvise as best as we can. I think we've already proved that we're pretty good at making things up as we go along." As usual, his answer satisfies Logan.

"It'll be nice to have all the decorating done," he says as he takes another bite of food. "I mean, it's been awesome. But I'm ready to just hang out with you."

"Me too," Carlos agrees. "But just wait. The tree is always the best part." So their tree is a little pathetic. What does it matter? Like Logan told him the night before, it's not the things people do around Christmas that bring them joy. Or at least, it shouldn't be that way. It should be that people get joy out of Christmas simply by being with their loved ones.

They finish the rest of the breakfast in a hurry. Carlos convinces Logan to leave the dishes until later and they go to look at the decorations. There are two boxes. The first is fairly large and filled with traditional Christmas ornaments. Carlos and Logan take out a strand of cranberries, brightly colored balls, and an angel to top the tree.

The second box is much smaller. Carlos sits back and lets Logan sift through its contents. There are a number of beautifully homemade ornaments, but there is also a Baby's First Christmas, and family Christmas photo ornament, and even a First Christmas together one with both of Logan's parents. Logan stares at this third one for some time before carefully placing it on a strong branch.

"So," he says, his voice snapping Carlos out of his gloomy thoughts. "What do you think?"

Carlos leans over and looks closely at the handmade decorations. There's a snowman made from cotton balls, a Santa Claus made from red felt, and even a Rudolph. "How did you make these?" he asks Logan in wonder when several beautifully carved and painted wooden ornaments catch his eye.

Logan's gaze softens and Carlos knows the answer before he speaks. "My dad made these," he says, lifting a tiny Christmas tree up. "He used to carve things out of wood. My mom painted them."

Carlos takes a snowflake out of the box and turns it over carefully in his hands. It's so simple, but so beautiful at the same time. They all are. The shapes are perfect, the edges are smooth. The colors Mrs. Mitchell used to paint them bring them even more to life. "Wow," is all he can say.

"They're beautiful, aren't they." says Logan. It's a statement, not a question. Denying the beauty of the unique ornaments is impossible. "This one is my favorite," Logan adds, lifting an angel out. Instead of the traditional blue eyes and golden hair that Carlos often sees in representations of angels, this angel's hair and eyes are a dark brown, unmistakably a more personal touch. A lump rises in Carlos' throat and the realization hits him at the same time as Logan speaks. "It's my mother. He made it the Christmas after she. . . you know."

Carlos is surprised when Logan hands him the precious ornament. He holds it carefully in both of his hands and looks at it closely. It bears a startling resemblance to Logan's mother. In spite of its tiny size, he can see a kindness in the brown eyes and when he looks at the rose colored smile, he can't help but smile too. "Wait," he says, noticing something else. "Logan, what is she holding?"

Logan sighs and takes the angel back. He doesn't look at Carlos, but stare longingly at the angel instead. The silence is almost unbearable until he finally speaks in a slow, halting whisper. "Carlos, there's something I never told you. Or James. Or even Kendall. I don't think anyone ever knew except for me, my dad and mom. . . and your dad."

His dad? Carlos' mind is racing as he struggles to figure out what it could possible be. He cranes his neck to look at the angel again. She's holding a tiny wrapped bundle in her arms, gazing down on it with love in her eyes. "Is that a baby?" he whispers, his voice breaking slightly. Logan nods wordlessly and Carlos tries to ignore the nagging horror that is about to dawn on him. "Is it you?" he chokes out.

Logan shakes his head slowly. "Remember how we were all supposed to be at your house that day?" he asks softly. "My mom had to stop at the grocery store before. While we were in there, we saw a little girl with her mom and baby brother. I told my mom that I wanted a baby brother or sister just like that little girl and you and Kendall."

Carlos feels a little sick. He doesn't want to hear the rest. He wants to continue living on in complete oblivion. But he also knows that after nine years of bearing this heavy burden alone, Logan is ready to tell someone. He needs to tell someone.

"Carlos. . . I was supposed to be a big brother. My mom was pregnant when she died. I lost a little brother or sister that day."

Carlos claps a hand over his mouth, steeling himself against the oncoming tears. It all makes so much sense now. Logan's wistful gazes when he's looked at one of Carlos' sisters or Katie. The way he's always looked so sad when the rare subject of him having a sibling comes up. The way he never ignored his friend's siblings while growing up, even though the other three all did at one point or another.

"She told me we were going to name the baby Chloe if it was a girl. . . and Scott if it were a boy. We were going to call him Scotty." Logan traces the angel with his fingertip, letting his touch linger on the baby. "I was going to be a big brother." He starts to cry then, but only quietly.

Through his own blurry eyesight, Carlos manages to move to Logan's side and hug him tightly. He squeezes his eyes shut and holds onto Logan as his best friend shakes in his arms. "I'm sorry, Logie." he says mournfully. "I'm so sorry."

"I miss both of them, Carlos." Logan confesses. "How can you miss someone you've never even met?"

"I think I know," Carlos sighs. "My mom lost a baby when we were eleven." At the shocked look on Logan's face, he swallows the lump in his throat and continues. "It was early on in the pregnancy so no one really ever knew. They only told me and my sisters."

"Why didn't you tell us?" Logan whispers, wiping his tears away with his sleeve.

Carlos looks down at his hands and shrugs. "I guess part of the reason was because Kendall's parents got divorced around the same time." he says quietly. "Kendall always takes such good care of us and hardly thinks about himself. I wanted to be there for him just once. And besides. . . I didn't know how to tell anyone."

"So you know then," says Logan, looking sadly at the other bit. "You know what it's like to miss someone you never knew. You know what it's like to imagine what they would have been like if. . ." he trails off, knowing that Carlos really does feel the same way. And as much as it hurts him to know that his best friend has this terrible knowledge, Logan takes comfort in one fact: He's not alone.

"It was a boy," Carlos offers after a moment of silence. A gentle smile turns up the corners of his mouth. "I had a little brother."

"Have you ever thought about. . ." Logan seems to be struggling to put his thoughts into words.

"About what I would do if we didn't lose him?" Carlos asks. "All the time. One time I made a list. I'd teach him how to read, how to play hockey, how to swim, how to cheat at _Life_ without anyone knowing. . . I'm kidding, Logie." Carlos smiles at the look that passes over Logan's face.

"Sometimes I wish I at least knew if I was going up have a brother or sister," Logan tells him. "But I guess I would do most of the things you would do with your brother. If we got to keep him. And if it was Chloe. . . I'd do anything, even though she would probably like girly things like dress up and tea parties. And when she got old enough, I would make sure that the boys would leave her alone."

"You would have been the best big brother ever, Logan." Carlos says quietly. "I know that Chloe or Scotty would have loved you and thought that they were the luckiest kid on the planet."

Logan offers a tiny smile. "I like to think that I would have been at least half as good as you and Kendall. Carlos. . . I'm really sorry about your brother."

"I am too." Carlos sighs. "I still miss him sometimes as crazy as that sounds. We never even had a name for him. My sisters call him Baby Boy when they talk about him, but-"

Logan watches Carlos, a sad light in his brown eyes. Then he stands up and carefully hangs the angel mom and baby on the tree before turning back to his friend. "I think I know what kind of ornament we should make."

* * *

><p>"Here," Logan hands Carlos the finished product and steps back. "You hang it on the tree, okay?"<p>

Carlos looks with a bit of pride at the ornament he and Logan came up with. It's incredibly simple, just a piece of soft blue cloth twisted into the shape of an angel. But it represents the little brother he never knew and that makes it the most beautiful ornament Carlos has ever seen in his entire life. "I love it," he says softly, stepping back to look at the tree. "Thanks, Logan." Now they all have their angels looking out for them.

"It's a beautiful tree, isn't it?" Logan asks. The lights are hung, the cranberry string is wrapped around it, but it's the ornaments that make it so special. Not just the ones that commemorate special events and bring back memories of happier times, but the handmade ones as well.

"It's the most beautiful tree I've ever seen in my life." Carlos replies truthfully. The tree has been transformed right before his very eyes. It's not something he'll ever be able to forget.

A knock at the door shakes them both out of their thoughts. Logan looks blankly at Carlos, wondering who it could possibly be. Their families are all gone and so are James and Kendall. Logan reluctantly leaves the tree and Carlos follows him to the door. Peering out the window, Logan suddenly smiles, and pulls the door open. "Hi, Luke!"

\"Hey, Logan. Carlos. Mind if I come in?" The young police officer who works with Carlos' dad on the force gives the two boys a friendly grin as he steps inside. "Man, it's cold out there! The house looks great though, did you boys decorate in here too?"

"We did!" Logan's eyes light up and he takes Luke's jacket, hanging it up before leading the way into the warm kitchen. While they walk, he starts telling Luke of everything they've done so far and how Carlos has thought of everything.

"Sounds like you've been having your own little Christmas," Luke replies with another smile. He rubs his hands together and blows on them to warm up his frozen fingers. "Sorry to interrupt, but I talked to your dad last night and I promised him I'd check up on you some time today."

"We don't mind at all, Luke." Carlos assures him as Logan puts water on the stove to make hot chocolate. "Have you eaten lunch yet?"

Luke shakes his head. "Actually, if you haven't eaten yet either, I was going to offer you my services. I can make a pretty good grilled cheese."

"Sure, I think we have everything." Logan nods to the fridge. "Carlos knows where everything is if you need any help." As he speaks, he adds milk to the water and stirs it around, watching it closely.

Luke moves around the kitchen, glancing into the family room when he can. "I like your tree. The whole house looks fantastic. Have you baked too?" he asks with a teasing smile.

Carlos and Logan both start laughing. "We tried," Logan explains. "We made sugar cookies. I think we switched the salt and sugar by mistake. I'm also pretty sure that we messed something else up because they were really flat and hard. We threw the rest of the dough out."

Luke laughs with them as he sets several slices of bread on the electrical skillet that Carlos got out for him. "I'll have to see if you have the ingredients for chocolate chip cookies. They're the only kind I know how to make."

"Logan always has chocolate chips," Carlos tells him, pulling out a bag from the cabinets. "He loves chocolate chip pancakes."

Logan blushes a little, but doesn't protest when Luke and Carlos both laugh. "What else do you need?" he inquires, adding the cocoa powder to the steaming liquid.

Carlos retrieves the ingredients as Luke names them and to their surprise, they do have everything they need.

"But first!" Luke says, sliding hot sandwiches onto plates and handing them to the boys. "Let's eat."

* * *

><p>The chocolate chip cookies go much more smoothly than the sugar cookies. Cookies and hot chocolate makes the cold outside a lot more bearable. Carlos and Logan and Luke all move into the family room where Luke fully admires the tree and then tells the boys about Christmases he had when he was their age. "My mom made all of us go Christmas caroling every year." he laughs. "None of us could sing very well though so it was definitely a case of "it was the thought that counted" for us. It was fun though and it was something we did every single year. I think we all appreciated that."<p>

"Carlos, we should go caroling!" Logan suggests suddenly. "I mean, I don't think we would sound that bad. Remember when we were twelve and James made us sing karaoke at the fair? Everyone seemed to like us." "

Yeah, but that was with James, and you know-"

"Oh come on," Logan interrupts. "We might not be as good as James or even Kendall, but it's not like we're auditioning for anything. We're just going to sing for some of our neighbors."

Carlos glances over at Luke who holds up his hands. "Don't look at me!" he protests. "I can't sing, trust me. Plus, I have to get down to the station." The boys walk Luke to the door and thank him for stopping by. When they close the door behind him, Carlos turns to see that Logan is still waiting for a response. "It's. . . cold outside?"

"Please, you grew up in Minnesota." Logan scoffs. "We've both been out in a lot worse. Come on, grab your coat and everything and let's go!"

"All right," Carlos relents. He doesn't say anything, but he honestly is a little afraid of singing in front of people. He doesn't mind people noticing him, but now when he's performing. That's more James' thing. It's cold outside, but like Logan said, they're both used to the weather. Fortunately, there isn't much wind and that makes it easier and almost pleasant. The sidewalks are for the most part shoveled, but the boys are wearing boots, so the going is never too tough. At first, they stand outside Logan's house, debating on their first move.

"I've never done this before," Logan says even though Carlos already knows. "Do we go up to the first house and make our way around the block? Do we just knock on the door and sing when they open up? What if they think it's too cold to keep their door open or stand outside? Carlos, maybe we shouldn't-"

"No way," Carlos interrupts, grabbing Logan's arm and pulling him along. "You wanted to do this, we're not backing out of it now." His own stage fright forgotten, he marches himself and Logan right up to the nearest house and then rings the doorbell. It's opened pretty quickly by Mr. Humphreys, an aging, retired bachelor. He's not the most cheerful person in the world and when he greets the boys with a scowl, they panic and start off their Christmas caroling by each singing a different song. Carlos is halfway through the first verse of, _We Wish You A Merry Christmas_ when he realizes that Logan is singing, _Jingle Bells._ It gets even worse when both of them both switch to the other song. But gradually, Logan steadies out and nods to Carlos and then they're both singing, _Silver Bells_ of all things.

At first Carlos is confused that Logan seems to know every song and then he realizes that driving with his friends during the Christmas season must give him just enough exposure. Really, he's very surprised that Mr. Humphreys' hasn't shut the door on them given their disastrous start. He actually looks like he's enjoying it now that they've settled in. Carlos forgets about his earlier nerves and sings along with Carlos, noticing with a little pride, that they sound really good together. James and Kendall aren't the only performers. _We should do this professionally!_ he thinks brightly, before remembering that there is no way Logan is going to give up his dream of being a doctor.

"Thank you, boys." Mr. Humphreys says when they finish. "That was very nice. You should think about going to the nursing home and singing for the people there. I have some friends who would enjoy it very much."

Logan's face turns bright red and Carlos simply grins. "Thanks, Mr. Humphreys!" he says cheerfully. "We'll have to think about that! Have a good day and Christmas!"

"Well," Mr. Humphreys says with a smile. "I'm Jewish. But I'll be sure to have a good Hanukkah and you boys have a good Christmas, all right?"

Logan is clearly mortified beyond all speech and Carlos has to mumble an apology, which Mr. Humphreys graciously accepts. The door closes and Carlos grabs Logan's arms and drags him away, laughing nervously. "Oops."

"Carlos, I can't believe we did that! Look, he's not even decorated for Christmas! That should have at least been a hint!" Logan is freaking out, his brown eyes wide with disbelief, face still flaming with embarrassment.

Carlos can't wait to tell Kendall and James about it. "Logan, he didn't mind!" he tries to assure his friend. "The only Christmasy Christmas song we sang was, _We Wish You A Merry Christmas._ And we didn't even get all the way through that one! _Jingle Bells _and _Silver Bells-_"

"It's Christmastime in the city." Logan quotes with a groan. "Carlos-"

"Okay, but he appreciated it." Carlos insists. "Come on, he's usually. . . not that. . . pleasant. If he was really offended then he would have slammed the door in our faces. Maybe it's like Luke said. It's the thought that counts."

Logan is gradually relaxing. "Okay. . ." he says slowly. "But maybe we should only knock on the doors with Christmas decorations on. Or at least stick to songs like, _Jingle Bells_ is we aren't sure."

"_Happy Holidays_?" Carlos suggests with a snort. "Whatever makes you more comfortable, Logie. But I'm sure it'll go fine from now on."

Fine is a relative term. It could mean anything. It could mean someone even grouchier than Mr. Humphreys slamming the door on them before they could get five notes out. Or it could mean the three kids that sang with them. But on the whole, as they walk back to Logan's house later that day, Carlos thinks it went pretty well. Just fine.

"That wasn't too bad," he says happily. "Much better than I thought it would go."

"I thought it was fun." Logan seems to have made a full recovery from the Mr. Humphreys incident. "We should do it more often. Like, um, Mr. Humphreys said, we should sing at the nursing home. When Kendall and James come home, we can all go. I mean if we're good at something like this, then why not use it for the benefit of other people?"

"James would probably let it go to his head and want to go to Hollywood even more than he already does," Carlos laughs. Logan laughs to and quickly unlocks the front door, letting himself and Carlos into the warm house. "Let's get more hot cocoa," he suggests before picking up the topic of singing again. "There's nothing wrong with wanting to do that. But for now, why not let people enjoy us for free? Maybe one day James will go on to bigger and better things, and then people back home can say he sang for them. I think that would be really nice."

"Who knows?" Carlos teases. "Maybe it'll be all four of us in Hollywood."

Logan just laughs again and shakes his head. "I don't know, Carlos. I'm pretty sure Kendall is dead set on being a professional hockey player and I feel the same way about being a doctor. You want to take over your dad's job one day, right?"

"Yeah, but we're still just kids." Carlos reminds him. "We don't know what's going to happen a year from now."

This time, Logan considers his words and then finally smiles. "I guess you're right," he admits. "We'll just have to wait and see."

**A/N. Lol. I actually liked that ending. I hope you guys did too!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N. Wow, almost a month after Christmas and I finally got this finished! I'm sorry for the long wait, especially for only six chapters. I hope you all liked it, thank you for reading!**

The days pass quickly after that, but there's still peace in the air. Carlos and Logan spend their time having snowball fights, building snowmen in the likeness of famous historical and fictional characters and then trying to guess who the other has made. They play countless ridiculous one on one hockey games at the pond and even shovel the driveways for some of their neighbors. When their fingers and toes are finally numbed beyond all feeling, they go inside and play games or watch movies. Not once has Logan mentioned getting an early start on their homework and Carlos has no plans to bring the subject up either. He's just glad that Logan is having such a good time.

The day that Carlos' family and Logan's father are supposed to fly home, a violent snowstorm hits the state of Minnesota. The boys are forced to spend their entire day inside, doing various things to keep their mind of the weather while they wait for word on the travelers. They hardly speak to each other at all, each lost in his own thoughts.

Carlos keeps glancing out the window at the swirling snow. He can't see anything else except snow. Everything else is completely covered, hidden, virtually invisible under a blanket of white that grows heavier and thicker with the passage of time. He also looks at Logan every once in a while, deeply worried for his best friend. He's nervous and pale, unable to concentrate on even a simple game of checkers. "Logie?" he finally ventures. "Are you okay?"

Logan stares at the checkerboard in silence. He picks up one of his red pieces and rubs it between his thumb and pointer finger. "What if they can't get home in time?" he says after a while. "Christmas is the day after tomorrow, and-"

"Logan," Carlos interrupts gently. "I'm sure that they'll be able to get home in time. They still have two days."

But Logan shakes his head, absentmindedly moving his piece forward to a place that will allow Carlos to jump him and then be crowned. "One day," he corrects softly. "They won't be able to come into Minnesota any time today, and tomorrow is Christmas Eve." To Carlos' compete dismay, he has tears in his eyes and when he speaks again, his voice is choked. "I ruined everything for you, Carlos." "

Whoa! Hey, Logan, what are you talking about?"'Carlos asks anxiously. He abandons the game and moves to where Logan is sitting wrapping an arm around the other boy's shoulder, he pulls him close. "Logan, you didn't ruin anything."

Logan shakes his head again and tries to pull away, but is held fast by Carlos. He drags his sleeve over his eyes and sniffs. "You might not see your family for Christmas and it's all my fault. If it wasn't for me, you would be down in Florida with everyone. I-"

"Logan," Carlos sighs. "Listen. I don't know what's going to happen. I mean, you're right that they won't be getting in tonight, but they could get a flight for tomorrow or even the day after so that they would be just in time. But, Logan," Carlos swallows hard. "Even if they can't. . . I'm not sorry I stayed home with you. Not at all. I'd do it again in a second."

"But-"

"We've been through this before," Carlos reminds him patiently. "You're part of my family as much as any of my sisters or my parents. You're my brother, Logan. So no matter what happens, I will be with my family for Christmas."

Logan relaxes under Carlos' arm and gives him a tentative smile. "Thanks, Carlos." he says quietly. "Have I ever told you that you're the greatest?"

Carlos grins back. "Not lately. Thanks though. You're not too bad yourself."

Logan laughs a little, by stops when his cell phone rings. "It's my dad," he tells Carlos. "Hang on a second." Carlos removes his arm and moves to give Logan room. Watching his friend in concern, he listens, trying to decipher Logan's words into a full, two-sided conversation. "Yeah, it's still coming down really hard. We still have power though. For now anyway. Yup, plenty of firewood and flashlights just in case. Uh-huh, and food and water. We're prepared."

Carlos tries to keep his face blank, but he feels very surprised. It sounds like Mr. Mitchell is actually making sure that they're well prepared in case they lose power. Carlos would never even think that it would cross his mind. And from the expression on Logan's face, he isn't the only one. But then the almost happy looks drops and is replaced by a poorly masked sadness. Carlos' heart sinks. He knows what's wrong even before Logan speaks. "Oh. Okay, well, that's understandable. It's difficult to get last minute tickets so close to the holidays. The day after isn't all that bad. Yeah. All right, well I'll call you, okay? All right. Stay safe, Dad. I love you. Bye."

"You can spend Christmas with us!" Carlos blurts out even before Logan hangs up his phone. "I mean, if my family can get home in time, you can stay with us. They won't mind, don't even try to refuse, Logan. Remember Lilo and Stitch? Ohana means family. Family means-"

"No one gets left behind," Logan says softly.

"Or forgotten." Carlos finishes. "Right. So, if my parents and everyone can get back in time, you're coming home with us. Okay?" Logan so clearly has just had a huge chunk of his hopes absolutely crushed. His dad isn't going to be home for Christmas. He's not going to home until the day after. But once again, Carlos had pulled him up and set him back on his feet. He's given Logan a reason to smile.

"I guess I don't have a choice," he jokes with a small laugh.

"Nope!" Carlos says cheerfully. He shoves Logan and then returns to his place on the other side of the checkerboard. "We'd love to have you, Logan. Trust me."

"You're the greatest," Logan says again.

"I know." Carlos' grin widens. "Now let's finish this game." The words leave his mouth an instant before an especially strong gust of wind makes every inch of the house creak. The lights flicker once, and then go out. "Of course," Carlos sighs. "Are you okay, Logan?"

"Fine." He can hear Logan fumbling around and then the light of his cell phone illuminates the dark room just enough so they can see each other. "You?"

"I'm fine." Carlos stands up, abandoning the game of checkers. "We should head downstairs though." He takes out his own phone and lets it light his way to the wall where he waits for Logan. "Do we need anything?" he asks breathlessly.

Logan shakes his head. "No, we should be good. We brought some food and water down there this morning, remember?" So they feel along the wall until Logan's fingers close around the knob of the basement door. He swings it open and cautiously proceeds down the stairs, holding tightly to the railing. Once his feet are on solid ground, he lets out a sigh of relief and turns to watch Carlos. "Careful," he warns.

But Carlos is finding the power outage to be a fun challenge. He joins Logan at the foot of the stairs and then looks around, admiring the pitch black room. "This is so cool!" he exclaims in an awed voice. "It'll be like camping!"

Logan snorts. "Yeah, I just hope we don't run out of firewood and freeze to death." As he speaks, he moves to the fireplace, gesturing for Carlos to help him. "Find a flashlight and hold it so I can see what I'm doing."

Carlos quickly obeys. "Need me to do anything else?" he asks, watching Logan select a few pieces of wood.

"Nope," Logan replies. "Just hold the light steady, please." Logan is an old pro at starting fires and within minutes, they have a comfortable blaze going. Sighing in relief, Logan sets aside an extra log and then sits back on his heels. "Okay," he breathes. "Let's just hope the power won't be out for too long."

Outside, the wind howls around them, and both boys can't help but shiver a little. Carlos' cell phone rings and he hurries to answer it. "Hey, Dad."

"Carlos, how are you boys doing in the storm?" his dad asks, getting right to the point.

Carlos turns to Logan and makes a face. "The power went out," he says reluctantly. He can't help but grin when he crosses his fingers and sees Logan do the same thing at the same time. But their wishes are useless. Of course his dad is going to worry about them now.

"How long has it been out? Is the storm getting worse? Are you boys going to be okay?"

"It's been out for about fifteen minutes, I don't think the storm is getting worse, but I also don't think it's getting better, and we'll be fine, Dad. We have food and water and we're down in the basement with a fire going in the fireplace." Carlos dutifully reports. "Now, what about you guys?"

His dad sighs and Carlos braces himself for the worst. But he's surprised.

"We have tickets for a flight late tomorrow night. If the weather clears up, we should be home at around 3:00 AM Christmas morning."

"Really?" Carlos catches Logan's eye and gives him a thumbs up. "That's fantastic, Dad!"

"I wish we could be there now," his dad says with a heavy sigh. "Are you sure you'll be okay, Carlos?"

"Yes," Carlos says firmly. "I promise. We've lost power lots of times before, Dad. We have each other though so please try not to worry?"

His dad chuckles dryly. "It's impossible not to worry when you're a father," he says, and Carlos thinks of Mr. Mitchell, who just a little while ago was checking in on them. "I guess you're right."

"Of course I'm right, I'm your dad." Carlos can hear the smile in his voice. "Listen, buddy. I want you both to turn your cell phones off and turn them on only to call us every hour. All right? I want you to your batteries saved as long as possible just in case."

"Right. Sure, Dad. I should go then."

"Hang on, let me talk to Logan."

Pleased, Carlos tells his dad that he loves him and hands the phone over to Logan who looks equally pleased. "Hi, Papa. No, we're fine, really we are. I talked to my dad and told him just what Carlos told you. We have everything we need for now, so don't worry too much. Like Carlos said, we have each other."

While he waits, Carlos takes Logan's cell phone and sends a brief text message to Ryan Mitchell about their current situation. Then he does the same for Kendall and James, knowing that the two older boys will probably worrying by now. He lets them all know about the phone situation, saying that his dad will pass along their hourly messages, and then he turns the phone off. With nothing left to do, he sits back and watches Logan.

"Um, no. The first flight he could get leaves in the middle of the afternoon on the 26th. It's okay though." Logan's face turns red and he ducks his head away from Carlos, reaching up to rub the back of his neck at the same time. "That's what Carlos said." he whispers. "Thank you, Papa. It really means a lot to me. I will. Okay. I love you too. Bye." He hands the phone to Carlos silently.

"You okay, buddy?" Carlos asks softly.

"I'm fine," Logan assures him. "I just can't get past how awesome your family is sometimes, Carlos."

Carlos turns his phone off. "I let your dad and Kendall and James know what's going on. My dad will keep them posted."

"Thanks. For everything."

"You're welcome. For everything." Carlos grins. "Up for a game of cards?" he asks.

* * *

><p>Carlos blinks tiredly, his mouth opening and stretching wide into a huge yawn. It's almost midnight on Christmas Eve, and though the storm has finally let up, the electricity still hasn't come back on. He and Logan have yet to go to sleep, staying up to make sure the fire doesn't go out. They've also been dutifully checking in with Mr. Garcia every hour. They haven't bothered to consider that they could take shifts and that one of them could sleep while the other waits. They're keeping each other company. But after countless board games and card games, they're both tiring. They also have bigger problems than just being tired.<p>

"That's the last of the firewood," Carlos says worriedly as he tosses a piece in the dying blaze. He shifts closer to it and pulls his blanket tighter around him.

Sitting across from him on the hearth, Logan does the same. "Carlos," he says slowly. "If we run out of wood and the power doesn't go back on. . . We might be better off at your house. You'll have firewood and the electricity might actually be on."

"Yeah," Carlos agrees, half-asleep. It's hard to think coherently and he's having trouble stringing together sentences that are longer than just a few words. "Do you think we should head over there?"

"The storm is over, so it'll be safe enough maybe." Logan shivers a little. "I don't know how cold it is out there. It might be colder than in here."

Carlos laughs a little. "For now anyway." He eyes the dying fire warily. "I know the storm is over, but do you think we'll be able to make it through all of that snow?"

"I don't know," Logan sighs. "I mean, I haven't heard the snowplows, have you?"

Carlos shakes his head. "Nope."

"Well, I guess when this dies," Logan nods at the fire. "We'll at least look outside to see how bad it is. For now. . ." he trails off and shrugs. "We'll see."

Carlos watches the flames uneasily. He can see them shrinking and losing intensity by the minute. The house is getting colder and he can't help but feel a little afraid. "At least we won't have to worry about calling my dad and making him worry," he tries to joke. "They're on their flight home right now."

"It's not like he can do anything right now anyway," Logan gently points out. He frowns when the last flame flickers and dies, leaving them in total darkness. Reaching for the flashlight nearby, he turns it on. "Want to go take a look outside?"

Carlos nods and reaches for his own flashlight, standing up as he does so. They head slowly up the stairs and to the front door. Peering out the windows, they can see nothing but blackness. "Well, it's dark out." he observes.

Logan rolls his eyes and cracks the door open. But that's all it opens: a crack. it doesn't move anymore because it's stopped by a thick wall of snow. An icy chill sweeps in the already cold house and Logan yanks the door shut, reflexively locking it. "We're snowed in." he says, sounding slightly stunned. "We're literally snowed in."

Carlos refrains from asking what figuratively being snowed in would be like. He can sense that Logan is in no mood for poor jokes or curiosity. "Well," he says, trying to sound cheerful. "I guess the only thing we can do is head back downstairs. Or do you think it would be better if we went upstairs? Heat rises, right?"

"I don't know of there's any heat to rise right now," Logan says fretfully. "It would probably be a better idea though. Just in case."

"All right," Logan seems to be at a loss for what they should do, so Carlos steps up to take action. "Let's go down and get whatever we'll need, then head up to your room."

"Right," Logan says faintly, allowing Carlos to take his arm and drag him to the basement steps. "That makes sense."

Downstairs, they collect the spare flashlights and extra batteries, as well as their cell phones and some food, water, and blankets. Armed with their necessities, they walk carefully back up the stairs and then continue up to Logan's bedroom. Carlos glances out the window, taking time to marvel at the deep snow that lights up the inky night. "I don't think it's ever snowed this much at one time." he says in an awed voice.

Logan joins him by the window, groaning at the sight. "I can't believe this is happening. We're going to die!"

Carlos bursts out laughing. "Logan, don't be ridiculous! We're not going to die. I doubt it's cold enough for us to freeze to death and it's not like we don't have enough food and water. We'll get out of here before we freeze or run out of anything we need."

"If you die though-" Logan's voice cracks and to Carlos' horror, he begins to cry. "If you die, it will be all my fault. B-because you should be w-with your parents and s-sisters and grandparents flying h-home right now. You shouldn't b-be here with m-me."

"Logan," Carlos moves quickly to his friend's side and pulls him into a tight hug. "Don't cry, buddy! I'm not going to cry, and neither are you. We're going to be fine, you'll see!"

"But, C-Carlos-" Logan stammers.

"No." interrupts Carlos. "Listen to me, Logan. We're both going to be absolutely fine. In a few hours, my parents and everyone will be home. I bet you anything that as soon as they do, my dad will be over here to get us out and take us to my house. And we're going to celebrate Christmas together. It'll be great, you'll see."

"Do you really think so?" Logan sniffs.

Carlos nods. "I know so, Logan." he promises. "You'll see."

Logan takes a deep breath, calming himself down. "Sorry," he breathes. "I guess I'm- I'm a little scared right now, Carlos."

Carlos hugs him tighter. "You don't ever have to be afraid, Logan. I'm here with you and I always will be. I promise. I'll take care of you."

* * *

><p>"Carlos. Logan. Wake up, boys!"<p>

Carlos stirs and cracks open his eyes. To his surprise, it's not only lighter, but also warmer in his room. He realizes rather quickly that the power has finally gone back on and that his dad is sitting on the edge of the bed, gently shaking his shoulder. "Dad," he says sleepily. "You made it."

"Hi, Carlos." Mr. Garcia smiles and helps his son sit up so he can draw him into a hug. "Are you boys all right?"

"We're fine," Carlos says in a muffled voice. "We ran out of firewood and the power wasn't working, so we came up here."

Logan wakes up then, looking incredibly disoriented. "Carlos?" he asks around a huge yawn. "What time is it?"

"Just after four in the morning," Mr. Garcia answers. He reaches over and gently pulls Logan into his arms as well. "Merry Christmas, boys."

Logan's eyes light up with realization. "Papa! You're home! Carlos, the power came back on too! And it's Christmas!"

Carlos laughs and leans close to his father. "I know, Logan!"

"Looks like I got here just in time," Mr. Garcia says, looking serious. "The power was back on, but you boys were really snowed in. I had to dig out the door so I could get in." He looks closely at each of them. "Are you both okay?"

"We're fine," Carlos assures him quickly. "Aren't we, Logan?"

Logan grins back at him and nods. "Just like you told me." he says gratefully.

Mr. Garcia smiles in relief and then lets go of them to stand up. "What do you say we pack a few things up and then head home? I think your mother convinced the girls that they could wait until later to see you boys again, but she'll still be up herself. We shouldn't keep her waiting."

Carlos and Logan hurry to obey, hastily packing up Carlos' things and then throwing together some of Logan's belongings. It takes them no longer than ten minutes since they're eager to leave the house.

At the door, Logan pauses to look around at the Christmas decorations. He closes his eyes briefly and Carlos knows that he's thinking about his father. "Ready, Logan?" he asks gently.

Opening his eyes, Logan smiles and nods. "Yeah. I'm ready. Let's go."

It's freezing outside, so they hurry to the car that is still a little warm from the drive over. The streets are dark, empty, and completely quiet and no one speaks for the entire ride to Carlos' house. There's one light on in the family room and Carlos drags his luggage behind him in a careless manner, too eager to see his mother again to be bothered with caution. "Mom!" he says happily when she opens the door for him.

"Carlos! Hi, honey!" Her arms are around him instantly, forcing the bags to be dropped to the floor. "I missed you so much, baby." Pulling away, she kisses him and then smiles over at Logan who is standing shyly off to the side. "Come here, sweetie."

Carlos laughs a little at the look of surprise that crosses his face when he's instantly pulled into a motherly embrace. He's glad to see his friend recover quickly however and return the hug. "Are all the girls asleep?" he asks.

Mrs. Garcia kisses Logan and then steps away. "Yes. Your grandparents are too. And you boys," she adds sternly. "I want you two in bed too. You both look exhausted!"

"We are," Carlos admits as Logan nods in agreement. "Come on, Logan. Let's go. Night, Mom and Dad." He hugs his parents again, grinning when neither of them let Logan escape the same.

They walk up as quietly as possible, not wanting to disturb Carlos' sisters or his grandparents in the guest room. Sighing in contentment at the sight of his own room, Carlos pulls out the trundle for Logan before collapsing in pure exhaustion on his bed. "Night, Logie." he murmurs, his voice muffled from being buried in his pillow.

"Goodnight, Carlos." Logan replies, sounding just as tired. "Thanks for everything you did for me this week. It was really. . ." There's a pause as Logan searches for a word that fits. "Amazing." he finally says, sounding slightly unsatisfied with the lack of adjectives.

Carlos understands perfectly though. "You're welcome, Logan. I'm really happy that you had such a good time."

To his surprise, he doesn't fall asleep right away. He hears Logan's breathing become deep and even, as he drifts off into a relaxed sleep. But Carlos is almost too relaxed to fall asleep right away. He's happy that everything worked out so well. Sure, there were little bumps along the way, like the pathetic tree and the disastrous cookies. But the tree turned out beautifully once it was decorated and the cookies make him laugh now. It all worked out. The last week was a lot of fun. He's never spent that much time alone with Logan and it was wonderful to see him so laid back and at the same time, so excited. It was almost like Carlos had given Logan a missing part of his childhood that he always deserved. He's pretty sure that Logan will eventually go back to his normal, more serious and mature self. But that's okay. Carlos and James and Kendall love him just the way he is.

It really has been, Carlos thinks as he finally slips into unconsciousness, the best Christmas ever.

**A/N. I will now be starting two more multi-chapter stories, one titled "All Of Me" which features Daddy James, and "Invisible" which is another Cargan. The first chapter of "All Of Me" should be up later tonight and I have to figure out the plot holes/weak spots in "Invisible". Thanks again!**


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